Sang
by Ayven
Summary: As Jake and Will receive a new job, they'll come to realize that seeing is believing and that magic can come in the most unexpected of forms. Grimmcest.
1. Chapter 1

**Sang**

"_Not **you**." Wilhelm insisted. Each syllable was weighed with disgust as-_

"Jake!" Will yelled across the room suddenly, jarring his brother out of his thoughts.

Taking in the journal and his brother's expression, Jacob paled slightly and wondered what fault he'd (accidentally) committed this time. Perching on the foot of his brother's bed, as far away as he could manage, Jake waited patiently for the rebuke he _knew_ was coming.

"What exactly do you think you're doing?" Will asked, dropping the book heavily onto his brother's lap, still open to the page he'd been reading.

"What?" Jake wondered; his eyes scanning the page for a mistake that wasn't there. Looking from the book and its scrawl up to his brother's face, Jake wondered what had upset him this time. With a sigh, Will pointed across his lap to the offending journal page.

"I just can't believe that you'd be careless enough to let this book get rained on! We'll never get any money from it if no one can read it!" As Will yelled, Jake rescued the book from his accusing finger and hugged it close to his chest.

"I did _not_ let it get rained on." Jacob argued with certainty as he adjusted his glasses.

"Well how else did raindrops get there?" Wilhelm asked, exasperated at his brother's stupidity.

"They aren't raindrops…" Jake mumbled, his gaze shying from Will's.

"They aren't? Perfect! What did you do this time, you idiot? Did you spill your drink on it? …Or better yet, did you drop it into the river chasing a dryad?" Wilhelm snarled, pushing himself off the bed to stand in front of Jacob. "Well?" He demanded, looking down at his brother contemptuously.

"Well, actually, dryads are wood nymphs, so technically-" Jake began to explain quietly, but was cut off with a glare from Will.

"Stop. I don't want to hear it Jacob, not now and not later." Will said as he grabbed the book from his brother's grasp and on his was past, threw it onto the other bed. "I need a drink, I'll be… well, I'll _eventually_ be back." Wilhelm said, slamming the door behind him before Jake could answer.

"Ah, Will. You forgot to remind me about the beans." Jacob said with a giggle to the closed door.

"Beans, beans, beans, brother. You'll never, ever, let me forget about them, will you?" Jake continued softly, as he dropped sideways along his brother's bed.  
"What about me, Will? Raindrops? …and you call me an idiot." Jake murmured to the empty room.

"And here lies the not-as-famous-as-his-brother Grimm. He never drinks nor brings home any lady friends. Instead, he stays in a dark and altogether too small inn room and keeps his brother's bed warm." Realizing what he'd just said, Jake started to laugh, and unable to stop himself, he kept laughing; not noticing (or caring) how eerily his laughter sounded. Even as the tears started, Jake's laughs continued, until they gradually lost their energy and faded to sobs.

"Now _that_ is a joke." He muttered, pausing to catch his breath and to wipe his face. "Imagine how angry he'd be if he brought back one of his new friends only to find his bed occupied by _me_. I must admit, I think he'd kill me, or at least give it a try." This time he kept himself from laughing; realizing that if he started, it was doubtful that he'd be able to stop.

With a groan, he half-rolled, half-flopped off the side of his brother's bed and listlessly pulled himself up onto his own bed; taking care to put his journal onto the bedside "table" (which was in reality an overly large stool.) As he lay there inspecting the ceiling and playing with his glasses for a few minutes in silence, another thought came to him.

"We risk life and limb to save children and princesses, yet we're so dreadfully under funded." Jake stated to the empty room, as he inspected the scrapes and chips on his glasses, "What good is ill-gotten fame if you're dirt poor?" And, as if to emphasize his point, someone started banging heavily on the door. 'No doubt Will, drunk again, with some new whores and so intoxicated that he can't work a doorknob. I suppose _this_ is exactly what fame is good for.' Jacob sighed as he slowly made his way across the room and slowly opened the door, expecting to be evicted any moment for his brother's privacy. But to his surprise, Wilhelm was unaccompanied by his usual habits. He pushed the door open further and stopped an inch from Jacob.

"An' who are you?" He asked, his voice and breath heavy with ale. He continued into the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Will?" Jake questioned, as he tried to guess exactly how drunk his dear brother was.

"You aren't Will; _I'm Will_. Will Grimm actually." He stated childishly; his eyes locked on Jacob.

"I'm Jake, and you've had too much to drink, again." The younger brother said with a sigh as he wished, not for the first time, that he'd stayed a scholar.

"You're certainly not Jake, well not _my_ Jake anyways. He always wears glasses. "And," Will argued, "He's impossibly stupid."

"Yet, _he_ never seems to come back drunk, nor does he insist on bringing back whores." Jack replied, his voice rising as he spoke. "So what does that indicate about you, dear brother?" As Jacob saw his brother lift his hand, he shut his eyes waiting for the punch, but when he felt his head and back impact against the door, he slowly cracked open his eyes to stare first at the hands pinning him there, then at his brother's face. Will looked pissed off; to say the least.

"Life isn't a fairytale." Will growled, "We can't all be knights in shining armour rushing off to save fair princesses." Jake could feel Wilhelm's breath hot on his ear as his brother pushed him harder into the door.

"Ah! Will stop, I'm sorry." Jacob gasped as he tried to push his brother away, although he knew it was in vain; Will had always been the stronger one.

"That's what you always say, Jake." Wilhelm said in a defeated voice as he loosed his grip on Jacob and turned towards his bed without a word.

Jake shakily made his way towards his own bed, pausing over Wilhelm as he wondered whether he'd fallen asleep or passed out, both seeming equally likely. Either way Jacob hoped, once again, that by the time Will woke up, he'd have forgotten.

----

_AN: Okay, first chapter of (hopefully) many. Here's the thing, I've written/typed Sang out past 15 pages at the moment but I'm not sure that I don't want to trash the whole story. I personally love this couple to death, but after working on this over the whole break, the delete button looks tempting. _

There will be slash and fairytale adventuresin future chapters, but at the moment I just need some inspiration to continue.. the plot is pretty much figured out. So any reviews... good or bad are welcomed and appreciated.

Aya


	2. Chapter 2

**Sang - Chapter 2**

Things you'll need to know about this chapter: 1._Herr_ is the German equivalent of Sir or Mr. 2. _Schwarz_ literally translates to black.

---

"Ah monsieur, vous regardez comme le type d'homme qui pourrait utiliser une telle épée, c'est faite avec l'or pure… et fait par Roi Arthur lui-même!" A merchant insisted to Jake, as he made his way down the far too full -and impossibly narrow- market street. And as interesting as a sword made by King Arthur "himself" sounded; it was probably made by the local blacksmith and was at most _shiny_.

'Damn French,' Jacob Grimm continued to repeat to himself every time a new vendor or merchant thrust something his way. 'What I wouldn't give to be back in Germany.'

The roads were far too narrow for his liking and the flow of people around him was making him feel anxious and jumpy; something that hadn't happened to him in years. Seeing an alleyway and ignoring the little voice that told him it was stupid to wander through alleyways alone, Jake ducked into the aforementioned alley, and as his luck would have it, ran right into someone.

As Jake scrambled to stand up, the someone or rather; a tall, dark haired man, offered him a hand and helped him up.

"Pardon monsieur, je ne regardais pas ou j'allais." Jacob said, trying his best to keep his verbs straight as he stammered an apology.

"C'est d'accord, je ne t'ai pas vu. Tiens… est-ce que vous savez ou je peux trouver un..." At this, the man faltered and finally, noticing his _too _awkward French accent, Jake interrupted.

"Herr, I also speak German, if you'd prefer…?" The younger Grimm offered, as he re-adjusted his glasses.

"Ah, thank _god_ someone in this place speaks German; I can't understand half of what's being said around me. Anyways, as I was saying, I was wonder if you knew of a place where I could purchase rounds, preferably cast of silver?" The gentleman asked, running his hand through his unusually long andblack hair.

"Well, Herr, you'll probably have a hard time finding anything of the like here," Jake started, but seeing the man's disheartened expression, he continued, wondering how much more he could upset his brother. "_But_ if you're really in need of them, I could sell you a round or two of them, assuming they're for a handgun?"

At his words, the other man smiled, nodded and replied, "Name your price, Herr…?"

"Jake Grimm." Jacob offered with a smile, extending his hand.

"Ah, when you say Grimm, do you mean… are you one of _the_ Brothers Grimm?" The stranger asked, somewhat shocked as he accepted the outstretched hand. No matter how he looked at the other man, he found it difficult to believe that this person (who unarguably resembled a scholar) could be on of _the_ Brothers Grimm.

"For better or worse, I am." Jacob answered; not quite dropping his smile.

"I wonder. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, would you be able to instruct me on how to kill a werewolf?" It was amazing how this one sentence was able to better Jacob's mood.

"A werewolf? You've got a _real_ werewolf?" He asked excitedly, "Please, tell me about it on the way to the inn where I'm staying." He motioned towards the way he'd come. As the two turned back into the street, Jacob was so interested in the idea of a real werewolf that he didn't give the crowds a second thought. "So, Herr …?"

"Oh, forgive my rudeness, I'm Schwarz Prinz." The man said with a grin, "As you can see, my mother was either very unoriginal or had a horrid sense of humor."

Glancing at his hair, Jacob returned the grin and continued, "So Herr Prinz, you've got a werewolf problem. Has it injured anyone?" He inquired, making a mental log as they walked.

Frowning, the man thought, "I…it hasn't hurt anyone yet, but the possibility is there, so I figured it best to take care of the problem before something happens." He explained carefully. "After all, the good of many outweighs the good of one."

"I suppose… I don't understand why you'd want to kill… him? Since werewolves are only harmful during the full moon and they can be subdued. Also, they're quite beautiful animals." Jacob tried to recall everything he knew about werewolves as he walked beside the other man.

"Vicious monsters are hardly what I'd call beautiful, and unless there's an infallible way to subdue it, I'd rather not take the chance." Schwarz explained, keeping his voice level.

"Of course I understand that –turn here- but death isn't the only option," Jacob explained as he led the man down a new street. "Another option is giving the werewolf Nightshade infusions to sedate him while he's transformed. Though," he confessed, "It's probably not the most pleasant experience one can have."

"And this… Nightshade? Is it readily available and is it effective?" He questioned, not quite managing to disguise his hope.

"Nightshade, Belladonna, Divale, Devil's Herb, it's got many names but it's a plant with dark purple flowers, oval leaves and black berries. The berries and roots are most poisonous but the plant as a whole is just as dangerous." Jacob explained, rhyming off textbook facts.

"You mean the Black Cherry plant? Those things grow like weeds in some of the forests up in Aalen." He added.

"Exactly. Now, to make the infusion, crush three of the plant's leaves into a powder, then add a crushed bay leaf, to ward off evil. The last ingredient is four powdered mint leaves, to act as a pain-killer. Then add the powder to warm water and ingest it before the full moon; preferably as the sun sets." Jacob instructed as he stopped in front of the town's inn (appropriately named Auberge Sélestat,) and motioned for Prinz to follow him.

"So, taking this… infusion will do what exactly?" Prinz wondered as he followed Jake into the inn.

"Well the Belladonna will severely dilate his pupils, and simply put, will effectively blind him during the night, and work as a poison to slow his movements and functions. And the mint will dull the pain and hopefully act as a mild sedative." Jacob explained as he led the other man down the hall to his room.

"And this is supposed to be better than a bullet?" Schwarz asked, not quite hiding his skepticism.

"Well," Jake replied, opening the door, "At least it's not as permanent…"

"_Jacob_! I was wondering where you'd gone off to. Did you get lost or…" Will paused as he saw the stranger behind Jake. "Oh god. Jacob you're not…You are." Wilhelm declared, paling noticeably. "My own brother… thank god Mother's not alive to see you."

"What?" Jake asked slowly. Looking back and forth between Schwarz and his brother. "Will this is Herr Prinz, he's-" Will cut him off with a glare.

"That's entirely immoral and I _don't_ want to know." Will said, glaring past Jake at Schwarz. "And dare I ask why you two came_here_?" He added with a snarl.

"Is it any of your business?" Schwarz demanded, letting out a small growl. And if it was at all possible, Wilhelm's face paled further.

"Jake… he's got _fangs_!" Will exclaimed, "Why Jake, why…?" Jake at the moment was quite confused by his brother's reaction.

"Of course he does Will… why else would you be so angry? I was just going to write him a list and… _What_?" Jack stopped as he saw Will's strange expression.

"It's always about the fairytales with you, isn't it?" Will exclaimed. With a dry laugh, he pushed past the two and left, leaving a fairly confused Jake in his path.

"So," Jake wondered, turning to Schwarz, "Am I the only one who missed exactly what he was angry about?"

Unwilling to voice his guess, the other man shrugged it off and grinned. "Who knows?"

"I never do, yet… oh, that's right! So, about this infusion." Jake set off to find some paper and something to write with. "You still don't want the rounds, do you?" He wondered, as he dug through a suitcase full of ammunition, ropes and pulleys.

"Maybe a round? I…I'm not sure exactly." Schwarz admitted, leaning against the doorway, "Better safe than sorry I suppose?" He slowly trailed off, expecting an answer from Jacob.

"I really, really don't think it's necessary but if you insist." He said pulling a small clinking pouch out of the suitcase. "Here are _those_ and the infusion instructions." Jake explained, handing the pouch and parchment over. "Although," he added quietly, "I'd prefer it if you didn't resort to those." With a glance to the pouch, he made his meaning perfectly clear.

"I'll remember that." Herr Prinz said with a smile, "How much do I owe you for the rounds and the professional opinion?"

"Not a thing," Jacob said with a smile.

"I won't forget you either… Jacob." And with a small bow and a smile, Schwarz Prinz silently took his leave.

'A real, live _werewolf_, I can't believe I actually got to meet one!' The younger Grimm thought to himself with a grin as he packed the suitcase back up and sat curled up on his bed with his back against the wall as he carefully wrote down every last detail.

---

_AN: Okay, first off, I give my love and some cookies to the lovely and amazing reviewers, you guys _made_ me want to keep writing. _

_And so... I hope the story is so far to your liking! (Don't worry, the main plot comes soon!) XD_

_Second, any German translations were from a mix of two online translators, I know no German so please excuse any mistakes._

_Third, the French is mine, I'll feel very ashamed if I screw it up… but if I did, let me know. _

_Lastly, please continue with the feedback, any questions are also welcomed._


	3. Chapter 3

**Sang – Chapter 3**

---

It was late enough for all the good little girls and boys to be asleep but being neither little nor exactly good, Jacob lay in bed looking at the darkness that hung around him and listened. There wasn't something particularly loud keeping him awake, the inn was situated in a fairly good part of town, and nearly everyone was already asleep. In fact, the only noise keeping him from sleeping was coming from his dear brother, who was at the moment quietly groaning and moaning in such a fashion that it was easy to guess _exactly_ what kind of dream he was having. With a small sigh, Jake whispered quietly to his brother with the hope of waking him up. "Will… Wilhelm, wake up! Or just shut up, either's fine really… just _stop_ making those noises!"

"Jacob," Will moaned softly, as Jake heard him toss in his bed. Jake felt his blood rush to his face, among other places, at his brother's moan.

'And that is precisely why it's better for him to come back drunk or with whores, at least then he sleeps quietly!' Jake cursed, covering his ears with a pillow to block out his brother's _noises _and the sound of someone knocking on the door. 'Wait a moment… knocking?' Jacob wondered, slowly uncovering his ears and silently moving towards the door. As the knocking continued, Jake wished Will would wake up but seeing as to how much he seemed to be _enjoying_ himself, that was unlikely. And with that as a last thought, Jake pulled open the door to reveal a young man, who Jake assumed was a messenger of some sort.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you monsieurs?" The messenger asked with a grin, hearing Will moan from the depths of the room.

"Are you kidding?" Jake asked, returning the grin and swinging the door open wider, "He's sound asleep."

"Ahh, I see. Well I have a message addressed to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, from some township or another." The youth explained, handing a small sealed envelope to Jacob. "I beg your pardon about the delivery time, but I was told it was very urgent."

With a sigh, Jake took the offered envelope, tipped the messenger and went to go wake his brother.

"Will!" Jacob hissed, leaning over his brother and gently shaking him. "Come on, get up, we've got another job!" Although, not quite unexpectedly, his brother didn't even blink. Already exasperated, Jacob balanced himself on the bed and grabbed Will by the shoulders with every intention of shaking him awake. "Will- ah!" Jacob gasped in surprise as his brother rolled over, grabbing his arm as he went and pitching Jake forward. Jacob considered himself lucky that he hadn't fallen off the other side of the bed –or at least until he realized where he'd landed. "Will, get off me!" Jake hissed, wondering how it was possible for his brother _not_ to have woken up. After all, he'd just pinned Jake under him and yet, _still_ refused to wake up! 'And this' Jacob thought angrily, 'is exactly the kind of thing that makes me wonder.' Although exactly what he wondered about didn't seem quite as important as waking Wilhelm up, so dropping the thought, he poked his brother in the side with his free arm.

"Mmm…" Will mumbled, not bothering to open his eyes.

'How lethargic can someone be?' Jake wondered, thoroughly annoyed at his brother. "Will, get off me. _Now_." And Jake could almost hear the metaphorical "click" as Will realized who he was sharing his bed with.

"What the hell are you…?" Wilhelm started, looking down on his brother who was currently reclining on his pillow. 'There's no way I had that much to drink.' He decided resolutely.

"Well, you're the one who put me here." Jake said with a grin, guessing his brother's thoughts. "Now if you'd be so kind as to displace yourself… What?" He paused, seeing Will's expression, which he guessed to be somewhere between absolute shock and… disgust?

"What are _you_ doing in my bed?" Will practically screamed, as he pulled himself back onto his knees. "Why…?" He finished lamely and, Jake admitted, somewhat anti-climatically.

"_You_ pulled me onto it." Jacob answered with a smirk, "So shouldn't the question be: What are _you_ doing pulling me into your bed?"

"Do you think this is funny Jake?" He asked; revulsion, among other things, clearly written on his face.

"Well, for one you're clearly overreacting," Jacob began but paused to let his brother interrupt, (as he was sure Will would.) 

"Overreacting? Don't you mean _under_ reacting? You-were-in-my-bed." He ended; his voice suddenly quiet.

"And considering you pulled me into it, you'd think I'd be more upset. But I don't care because I know you don't even… _Forget it_." He snapped and tried to push his brother away.

"Wait, Jacob. I'm sorry." Will said suddenly, "I wasn't even aware of it, I didn't… _do_ something, did I? Is that why you're…" He made an expansive gesture with his hands, which could have meant anything as far as Jake was concerned.

'Do something? _Do something?' _Jake thought irritably. "Define _something_ Will." Jacob retorted and he had to admit, it was almost satisfying to watch his brother pale so easily.

"Don't joke around Jacob!" He yelled, pushing his brother back down onto the mattress.

"Or what, exactly, will you do?" He said mockingly, as he glared up at his brother, "Will you curse at me or will you hit me? Maybe hold me down against my will? Well, Wilhelm?" As he said this, he saw his brother stop, think and immediately jump to the _wrong_ conclusion.

"I did... _that_?" He asked quietly, lessening the pressure on Jake's chest.

"And if you did?" Jacob wondered aloud, "Is it really any worse than how you usually are?" Not entirely unexpected, he felt rather than saw Will's fist impact with his face.

"How I usually am? I wonder Jacob, if you were alone would you sell your soul for some magic beans as well?" And perhaps to make him feel even more helpless, Will slowly drew his finger along Jake's lips and held it up so he could see the blood glistening on it.

"Fuck! Will, when did this happen? Or has it always like this, and I was just too stupid to notice it?" Jacob exclaimed; feeling completely beaten as the tears he held back stung his eyes.

"I suppose you just never noticed," Will said coldly, "You _never_ do." Without another word, Will got up, grabbed his jacket and headed towards the door. "I'm going to get a drink, have everything packed and ready by the time I get back." The slamming door barely registered in Jacob's mind as he lay still.

"As hypocritical as ever brother." Jake said with a sigh as he wiped the blood off his mouth as well as he could and began packing Will's luggage.

---

_A/N: First off, I'd like to give some… hmmm, what instead of cookies? cookie dough? to the reviewers, I'm pretty much continuing the story for you guys. _

_Second, okay I hope this chapter "works" if you get what I mean to say. It was kind of iffy when I typed it up and re-reading it I'm not sure, although I hope you guys enjoyed it, any feedback good/bad will help me get myself back into writing gear. (Since I tend to write a chapter ahead, so I can go back and change things, I've got the next chapter planned out and close to done.) _

_And no I don't particularly like making them fight; they just seemed to have _that_ kind of "relationship" in the movie. _

_Anyways, in short, hope you enjoyed. _


	4. Chapter 4

**Sang – Chapter 4**

---

Jake slouched farther down in his saddle and pulled his jacket close to him, hoping against hope that doing one of the two would somehow make him warmer or drier. Glancing over at his brother, he resisted the urge to laugh; Will was hunched over and looked like a miserable creature. 'Which,' Jacob thought smugly, 'Served him right for drinking so much ale before leaving.' And, as if hearing this thought, Will turned and glared at his brother through the space between his jacket and hat brim. Returning the sentiment, Jake reined his horse in towards his brother and with a smile wondered aloud, "How's our little princess feeling this fine evening?" Receiving a grumble from Will that somehow managed to embody every bit of his discomfort and malcontent, Jacob had pity and added, "We're going to be stopping soon; the horses need a rest." Seeing a movement that resembled a nod from under Will's hat, and hearing some muttering, Jake assumed that he was, for the moment, able to press on until they found lodging.

As the sun began to set, Jake began to get worried; they hadn't seen anyone after they'd crossed the border into Germany from Sélestat and Jake sure as hell didn't want to spend the night outside in this weather. Recalling his map, they should have hit a small town by now, but not quite wanting to be the one to tell his brother this, he urged his horse forward. As the trees around them creaked ominously, Jake unconsciously brought his horse closer to Will's and shivered uncontrollably.

"Thank god!" Jake heard his brother mutter, wondering what his brother was talking about, Jacob looked around but seeing nothing except trees, turned to Will.

"Am I missing something or are you just rejoicing in the fact we're going to be sleeping outdoors?" Jake snapped and wished, not for the first time, that he'd been able to afford better glasses.

"Still blind as a bat Jacob?" His brother asked, pointing down the road towards... well something that Jake couldn't see.

"Yes Will, _still_. And no I can't see it yet. And yes we should try and ask for lodging there and yes we have money to pay and no we haven't much else to offer for it. Questions?" Jake asked, still somewhat annoyed that he couldn't see "it."

"Are you angry again?" Wilhelm wondered, pulling down his jacket collar so he could see Jacob.

"You've known me forever and yet you still need to _ask_?" He said with a sigh, "No Will, I'm not. I'm just tired and cold and hungry and at the moment want nothing better than to fall down right here and sleep."

"Good." Will said, looking down the road.

"_Good?_" Jake repeated slowly.

"That you're not angry with me." He added and then wondered, "Can you see the house yet?"

"See what? I…" Jacob faltered, "Shhh, Will can you hear that? It sounds like a lullaby," He said uncertainly, bringing his horse to a sudden stop, "Will someone's ca-" The slow song filled his ears and the last thing he heard was someone scream his name.

-

"Jacob?" Will screamed, as he saw his Jake slip off his horse. Vaulting off Kastanie, he threw her bridle around Fee's neck and ran to his brother. "Shit! Get up, Jake!" Will cursed, as he gently lifted his brother onto his lap. Having not the slightest idea what had happened to his brother or what to do, he carefully picked Jake up. Willing himself not to let his brother fall, Wilhelm balanced Jacob on his horse and carefully pulled himself up behind him. Taking careful hold of his brother and both horses' reins, Will set off at a gallop towards the house.

---

_A/N: Okay short chapter, I know, but I'll try and have another (equally short) chapter ready sometime soon this week. Oh god, exams are coming soon, that means death and not very much writing, (the only good part being I get a day off after they're done...) _

_Anyways, you reviewers make me so ecstatic and joyful!_

_And also… this story will probably/definitely be over ten chapters long (I'm not sure how long it's going to be,) that is a good thing, _right…?


	5. Chapter 5

---

At the moment, although it wasn't the best idea, Will wanted to break down the door and demand lodging; manners be damned. But as always, he kept his manners in check and brother in arms, he kicked as politely as he could manage against the door. It seemed to take a lifetime but finally the bolt clicked and the door swung open an inch. "I would like to ask for lodging Herr, I can pay if you'd like." Will asked nervously, looking from the door to his brother.

"Of course," the gentleman replied, swinging open the door, "Both you and your… geliebte?...are welcome here."

"Thank you, we're both much in your debt," Will replied, stepping inside the house and stopping to marvel at its splendor. The walls were made of dark polished wood, the floors of black marble and all sorts of paintings hung along the walls and up the spiral stairway. It was much, _much_ bigger than he'd originally assumed and the sir in question was more than likely a lord.

"Please, bring your companion and follow me, we have a guestroom that's currently unoccupied." The man said with a smile, turning towards the stairway. Adjusting his hold on Jake, Wilhelm followed the man's lead, wondering as he did so exactly who this person was. Thankful that there was only one set of stairs and a short hallway, Will slowly followed their host into what he assumed was the guestroom.

"Here we are," he said, turning towards Wilhelm, "There are towels over there, and you can probably find an extra pair or two of pajamas in the drawers."

"Ah… thank you Herr… but you know we really haven't the money to pay you for all this" Will said guiltily.

"Don't think of it, I rarely get visitors anyway so I might as well be nice to the ones I do get." He answered with a laugh, "Now where _are_ my manners? Put him on the bed, get him comfortable and I'll make up some tea and food." As he turned to leave he stopped. "And, before my manners completely abandon me, I'm Weiss Erzdieb, or simply Weiss." He explained with a smile, leaving the room and closing the door behind him silently.

'What kind of lord leaves his hair that long, dresses in plainclothes and asks to be addressed by his first name?' Wilhelm puzzled as he found the towels and went over to check on Jake. "Tch. And you think you're capable." Will reproached, sitting beside Jacob as he gently took off his brother's glasses, placed them on a small table and dried his face off with a towel. "What _am_ I to do with you brother?" He asked the silent room, pulling off Jake's soaked coat and throwing it to the floor; his shoes and vest following quickly. Trying his best not to pay attention to the deathly blue Jacob's lips had turned, Will continued to undress him and when all but his underclothes were on the floor he wrapped him with the plush towels and carefully tucked him into bed.

-

"Weiss?" Wilhelm questioned uncertainly as he stepped off the stairway,

"In here," He heard Weiss reply, as his voice drifted toward him from another, just as tastefully decorated room, "I'm just looking for the tea leaves." Weiss added; appearing as Will turned the corner. "How's he doing?" The blonde man wondered, disappearing again behind a cabinet door.

"Well, I'm not sure. He looks sick to me… I'm worried." Wilhelm explained, stepping farther into the kitchen and admiring the lavishness of his surroundings.

"Well, just into town there's an herbalist that sells both tea and cold remedies, if you were willing to go back out, it's just a ten minute trip each way." Weiss suggested, "I can't believe I'm out of tea, what kind of host am I?" Wondering whether the question was rhetorical or not, Will decided to ignore it.

"Do you think that the herbalist could help Jacob?" He wondered, weighing the idea of going back into the rain against staying here with his brother.

"I can almost guarantee it," Weiss said, "Don't worry; I'll look after Jacob..? while you're gone." He assured Will.

"Thank you Herr." Wilhelm said with a small bow as he ran towards the door.

"_Tsk_, so trusting." Erzdieb muttered, sighing as he headed towards the stairs.

---

_A/N: I'm sorry it's so short but between exams and culminating tasks, I've been really busy all week… resulting in much slower writing of chapters. (And yes the chapters probably will get longer… eventually.)_

_Some parts of this story just seem to write themselves but others are a little problematic. That being said, I. Love. You. Reviewers. It's like… instant inspiration… yah know? Well, anyways, I promise you guys a new (longer) chapter somewhere in the near future._


	6. Chapter 6

---

"Jacob..?" Weiss asked quietly, knocking on the door as not to startle him, "Are you awake yet?" He wondered, slowly closing the door behind him. Carefully avoiding the pile of wet clothes, he sat down on the bed and put his hand to Jake's cheek. "Mmm… I hope you haven't got a cold; you feel freezing!" Pulling back the sheets and towels, Weiss sighed again, "No wonder you're freezing, your underclothes are still soaked with rain." Sliding his hands under Jake's undershirt, he carefully began to undress him, "How awkward, I _really_ wish he'd done this instead."

-

Although he felt cold, damp and sleepy, Jake could hear a soft voice somewhere above him that he didn't recognize and almost swore he could feel someone's warm hands on him. This thought seemed to jerk him back to his senses and as he opened his eyes he came face to face with a blonde haired, blue eyed man that he'd never seen before.

"Oh… dear," The man said slowly, pulling his hands out of Jacob's shirt, "That's what I was afraid of, now please _don't_ panic." Of course, as Jake took in his surroundings, he was finding it quite difficult to take the stranger's advice. Looking from the aristocrat to the richly decorated room, Jacob yelled or rather, tried to.

"Wilhelm! Will?" Jake exclaimed, feeling sick to his stomach as his yell came out as a whisper. He tried to get up but the stranger gently held him down.

"Shh, it's alright. Your geliebte's not here now, he went to get you some medicine and to buy me some tea. He'll be back soon." Weiss said calmly, hoping that Will was indeed on his way.

"Lover..?" Jacob wondered in confusion, 'Perhaps Will sold me to some rich man, I wouldn't be half surprised,' Jake thought with a laugh.

"Isn't he? Messy, dark blonde hair, light eyes, bit taller than me …Wilhelm wasn't it?" Weiss asked somewhat confused, after all the way Will had been taking such good care of Jacob, he'd just _assumed_ they were lovers.

"Will?" Jake wondered aloud, "He's my _brother_." At this, Weiss was suddenly overcome by a coughing fit that, to Jacob, sounded more like poorly concealed laughter.

"I beg your pardon, I had just assumed…" He started, "How silly of me to jump to such a conclusion; it's just, he seemed so concerned about you." Hearing asigh that could have been an agreement, Weiss continued, "It seems my manners escape me, yet again.I'm Weiss Erzdieb and you're in a guest room… in my house. And," he added, somewhat embarrassed, "My only intentions were to get you out of those damp clothes and into some dry ones before you froze to death." With a weak smile he continued, "But since you seem to be awake and fairly functional, I'll leave that up to you." He finished, getting up to find some dry clothes.

"Thank you for your hospitality Herr Erzdieb," Jake said as the dry clothes were laid out for him.

"No need for formalities, Weiss is fine, and if you need anything I'll be down the hallway in the library, first door on the left." He said, quietly taking his leave.

After Jake slowly got himself changed into the drier and decidedly more comfortable clothes, he lay still on the bed and debated moving. But, recalling the fact that Weiss had mentioned he's be in the _library_, Jake's love for stories overcame him and he carefully made his way out of the room and down the hall, 'First door on the left,' He reminded himself, pausing in front of the door and knocking lightly.

"Come in," Erzdieb said from the depths of the room, "The door's open." Hearing the invitation, Jacob opened the door and stepped inside. The library was a scholar's dream: it was well-lit with candles; each shelf at least a floor high seemed to contain books labeled and shelved accordingly; plush chairs were scattered around tables and there was even a fully equipped writing desk.

"Amazing!" Jacob breathed looking around the room, "So many books, it's stunning!"

"Isn't it? I figured I might as well invest something in my second favorite pastime." Weiss said, curled up in one of the chairs with a book. "So Jacob, what kind of books do you read?"

"Fairytales, folklore and legends," Jake said with a smile, as he looked up and down the shelves.

"Really? You know, I hate to brag… but I _am_ a master-thief. I once managed to steal the parson and clerk from a church and was even declared _the_ arch-thief; you wouldn't be interested in hearing my story, would you?" Weiss asked hopefully, "I rarely get the chance to talk to anyone and those I do on occasion converse with, generally aren't… well informed about my profession. I suppose I'm not as trusting of others as I should be." He speculated with a rueful grin, "But either way, I think it would be a shame for me to take it with me to my grave."

"An arch-thief? I do believe I've never met such a person! I'd be honored to hear the tale." Jacob said happily, settling himself in a chair beside Weiss.

-

"Jake… Weiss?" Will wondered, stepping inside the manor and this time, hanging his jacket up to dry. Taking the steps two at a time, he headed towards the guestroom only to find it empty; his brother's damp clothes the only thing in the room. "Jacob?" Will called, heading back into the hallway.

"Will? We're in here." Weiss called from the library. "Were you able to get the medicine and tea?" He wondered, as Wilhelm walked into the library and saw Weiss and his brother curled up in chairs, both smiling.

"Jake, you're awake? How are you feeling? I brought some cold medicine." Turning from his brother to Weiss,Will wondered aloud, "Did I miss something?" A glance between the two of them indicated that he indeed had.

"Will, you won't believe this! Remember the legend we heard about in the village by Bonn, about the thief who bested the Count?" Jacob exclaimed with a grin, "That arch-thief; it was Weiss."

"Guilty," He confirmed with a grin, "I had no idea how infamous I'd become."

"I was so worried about you… I even went back out into the rain to get medicine for you and here I find you listening to _stories_! Honestly… Jacob sometimes you can be such an _idiot_." He snapped, completely exasperated, as he produced a bag from his pocket and turned to the thief, "Weiss, I got some tea for you as well." Placing the bag on the writing desk, he added, "I think I'm going to turn in for the night; Jake here's the medicine." He finished coldly, placing a glass vile beside the bag. "Good night Herr, Jake." Turning on his heel, he left the room, not quite managing to keep the guestroom door from slamming.

"Oh dear," Weiss stated, turning to Jacob, "I hope he isn't too angry."

"Define angry," Jake said with a frown, "I suppose I'd best go apologize." With a sigh, he slowly got up and turned to Weiss, "Thank you for everything Weiss, and if you don't mind, when I have a moment I'll write your story down in my journal, so that it's not forgotten."

"Good luck Jacob, I'm glad you enjoyed hearing it." The thief replied, "And don't forget to take your medicine!" With a smile, Jake nodded in reply, grabbed the medicine and headed to bed.

-

"Will?" Jacob wondered as he stepped into the darkened room, "Wilhelm?" He repeated, slowly closing the door behind him. 'So now he's ignoring me, how childish can you get?' He thought to himself, as he blindly made his way towards the bed. Carefully placing the glass bottle on the bedside table, Jake slipped under the covers, turning to face his brother. "Will, listen… please?" Jacob asked quietly, but when no reply came and the silence lengthened, he continued, "I'm sorry, Will I didn't want to make you worry…" Jake explained softly, pausing for his brother's response.

"That's what you always say Jacob; but the worst part is that you always _mean it_." Will said with a sigh from somewhere in the dark; just close enough that Jake could feel Wilhelm's breath on his cheek.

"Wait- what?" Jacob asked in confusion, not quite understanding what his brother was implying.

"_Never mind_." His brother retorted, abruptly ending the discussion as Jake felt Will turn his back on him. Sighing, Jake curled up, pulling the blankets around him.

"Good night Will." He whispered to the darkness, not once expecting to hear a response from his brother.

---

_A/N: Okay, who did I trick into thinking that the lovely thief was the bad guy? He's certainly seems to be someone who knows the good and bad sides of people, doesn't he? (Hence his comment at the end of chapter 5.) I'd love to write a story about him sometime… oh well. Yes, the arch-thief is from an actual Brother's Grimm fairytale, one of the less known ones though (it's called The Master Thief.)_

_Your reviews make me so excité! And I hope this chapter's length makes up for the last one's shortness (and dare I say cliffhanger…?) _

_Anyways, I'm done all my big end-of-semester projects and soon exams will be done. (Well, relatively soon anyways.) I'll_ try _to get myself back into writing gear before then!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

---

"Well, at least it's not raining." Jacob said with a smile as he and his brother turned their horses back onto the main road.

"_At least_." Will mocked, "At the moment rain seems the better alternative; I can barely see you through this fog!"

Thinking of how his brother's voice always seemed to rise when he was angry, Jacob thought to himself, 'Well… at the very least I'll be able to _hear_ him no matter how bad the fog gets.'

But even with his fairly optimistic attitude, Jake was starting to feel as nervous as Will sounded. After leaving Weiss's house and passing the town that Will had visited the night before, they'd followed endless back roads but even after finding their way onto the main road; they hadn't met a single traveler. Jacob voiced his worries to Will, partly out of concern and partly to break the unnerving silence between them; either way not really expecting an answer, he let out a small sigh.

"You know, it was the oddest thing. When I went into town for you, the old woman who sold me the tea and medicine was telling me about a blue-eyed demon that inhabited an old mansion... how come we never passed any thing of the like?" Will wondered from somewhere in the fog.

Finding it difficult not to laugh at his brother, Jacob began to explain, "Will, think for a second. A _mansion_ and a _blue_-eyed demon."

"Weiss?" Will exclaimed, somewhat confused, "But he's human… _isn't_ he?"

"Of course he is but he's also a thief and a good one at that. The last thing he wants is people keeping track of his comings and goings. He was telling me that he took the idea from an old folk legend." Jacob exclaimed, hoping that his brother couldn't see his grin through the vapor.

"Fairytales and folk legends… what is this world coming to?" Will said with a sigh. "People believing in such foolishness instead of using common sense."

Not wanting to start an argument by pointing out the fact that Will hadn't questioned it until he'd been told otherwise _and_ the fact that dear Wilhelm had been brought back to life with _magic_; Jacob stayed silent.

"Well? Aren't you going to debate me like you usually do?" Will wondered quietly, half to his brother and half to himself.

"Why Wilhelm? Do you _like_ arguing with me?" Jacob snapped.

"No… I just," Will stammered, "It's not that, I guess I just kind of got used to it. You know; us… always arguing." Taking a shaky breath he continued, "It's always been like that since -well _especially-_ after…" He began to explain, but quickly trailed off.

"Since _what_ Will? Since I _killed_ our sister… is that it? Is _that_ what you're getting at?" Jake screamed angrily, for once glad that the fog covered both his and Wilhelm's expressions.

"What? No… Jacob -that was -she was… God _no_. That's not what I meant at all, I meant Marbaden; Jake that's _all_." Will said softly, his expression perfectly masked by the mist.

"Ah... Will-" Jacob started, feeling a lump forming in his throat, "I'm sorry Will… I did it again, didn't I?" He asked weakly, hoping his brother hadn't heard the way his voice broke.

Not even sure whether Jake had _technically_ started it, Will knew that his brother wasn't the one to blame, and there was no way in hell he wanted to make Jacob cry… _again_. "Shh, don't apologize," Will murmured, turning his horse towards his brother's, "It's okay, just _don't_…" Wilhelm began, reaching forJacob and feeling the tears on his cheek; cringed. 'I can't believe I let this happen, again.' Will reprimanded himself as he pulled Jake into his arms.

When Jacob slowly returned the hug and Will realized how much he was _enjoying_ having Jacob in his arms, he felt sick with guilt. Wondering if there was even a word for the kind of bastard he was; Will froze and abruptly broke the contact. 'I've done enough to him, there's no way I'm going to corrupt him as well.' He thought. Then he saw the pained look Jake gave him and mentally kicked himself as he realized how his brother had interpreted his reaction. 'But I'm already such a horrible person, aren't I?' Will wondered to himself.

"We should probably pick up the pace if we want to make it to… _wherever_ it is, by tonight." Will insisted as he sped up, purposely putting space between them so that the fog once again masked his expression.

"_Hameln_ Will; we're going to Hameln." Jake said with a sigh, as he urged his horse to catch up to Will.

---

_A/N: This chapter wasn't too short was it?(I'm still recovering from my fashion and Spanish exams and am in the process of dreading my biology and French exams...)_

_Also, I know that in most fairytales Hameln is spelt Hamelin or something like that. But I found a Brothers Grimm fairytale about a town called Hameln. (I'm pretty sure it's a real town in Germany,) and I think that's where_ the _fairytale originally came from. (If you haven't already guessed_ the _fairytale in this story, I'm not telling but you'll find out soon enough.)_

_And thank you for the reviews, I actually never expected this story to get any when I started, (lol.)_

_...I've also realized something; making these two fight is pretty fun. Does that make me a mean person? XD_


	8. Chapter 8

**Sang - Chapter 8**

---

As the moon slowly rose and its light cut through the rolling fog, Jacob became aware that the trees were beginning to thin out around them. Hoping they were almost there, he squinted down the road at the hopes of seeing something, but realizing that the fog was as thick as ever, Jacob gave up and instead turned to look at his brother. Will, for the first time, had his face uncovered and was staring down the road.

"Jacob?" He questioned, pulling his horse to a stop in front of his brother.

"What?" Jake replied in an altogether uninterested voice, reining his horse in beside Will's.

"Would you kindly remind me why _exactly_ we're here?" Wilhelm asked, leaning over his saddle towards Jake.

"Uh," Jake started, not entirely sure of what his brother meant, "We're heading towards Hameln?" He ventured.

"No, we're already there; I can see the town's lights from here. I meant why did they send for us?" Will clarified, somewhat unnerving Jake with the way he was staring so intently at him.

"Will… I gave you the letter, didn't I?" Jacob wondered as he pretended to re-adjust Fee's halter. "Honestly, did you even bother to read it?" Looking up from the halter, Jake locked eyes with Will, who didn't even blink. "Will! Are you even listening?" He asked; completely exasperated as his brother started and shook his head.

"What? Yes I'm listening Jacob, what did the letter say again?" He wondered, running a hand through his hair and waiting for an answer.

"And I thought you'd fallen _asleep_. The letter pretty much explained that the town's children had gone missing and that-" Jake began to explain but was quickly cut off by his brother.

"What do they mean by the town's children? Surely not _all_ of them...?" Will asked, somewhat shocked.

"Had you let me finish Will, I would have explained that they guess over 100 children are missing but haven't confirmed it yet. So yes Wilhelm, that would be pretty much _all_ of them." Jake said, somewhat annoyed at his brother's insolence, "Should I continue… or do you have anything else that you want to add?" He asked archly, pausing for a moment and making sure that his brother wasn't going to interrupt. "_And_ the town's generally agreed that some sort of demon stole their children; using a pipe." And had it not been for the circumstances, that explanation would have been _funny_.

"A pipe?" Will clarified, nudging his horse forward. "Are you _kidding_ me?"

"No Will, I'm not and had you read the letter for yourself you'd know that." Jacob said with a sigh as he encouraged his horse to catch up to his brother. "And this time Wilhelm; I have a small request of you."

"Which is?" He asked, looking back towards Jake.

"Please, just this once, lay off the theatrics. This time it's just too serious." Jacob begged, although he realized how unlikely it was that his brother would listen.

"Theatrics? Please Jacob; they're half of what get us paid." Will scoffed, "I'd have thought you realized that by _now_."

"Of course, how _stupid_ of me." Jake murmured, turning away from his brother.

---

_A/N: Okay, this was another short chapter wasn't it? Is it even long enough to be called a chapter? Well, again I apologise, but finally exams are finished and I get to relax (and write!) It's a shame that I'm sick at the moment ...but the next chapter will most certainly be long(er.)_

_And once again, to the lovely reviewers, thank you so very very very much. _


	9. Chapter 9

**Sang - Chapter 9**

---

"Dear people of Hameln, we are _the_ Brothers Grimm." Wilhelm announced to the crowd with a flourish and bow, "Whether your plague hath been born in earth, hell or places unknown; your salvation is at hand." Thankful that his brother had bothered to tone down the speech enough to make it sound plausible, Jake took this as his cue and mirrored Will's bow. 'Although,' He thought to himself as he looked at the townspeople, 'They look like they'd listen to just about whatever nonsense he spewed out.'

The townspeople as a whole looked exhausted and distraught; not that Jacob could particularly blame them. But as the mayor stepped out of the crowd towards them and introduced himself, Jacob couldn't help but think of him as an arrogant man. Even as most of the townspeople looked as if they hadn't slept in days (which was likely) and others looked as if they hadn't changed their outfits in the same (even more likely,) the mayor was immaculately dressed and looked as if he hadn't lost an hour of sleep over the incident. Suppressing a glare as he shook hands with the man, Jake was relieved when he took his leave and asked someone to escort them to the inn and then to the town hall.

As a busty blonde woman made her way through the crowd and curtsied in front of the brothers, Jake let out an inward sigh. 'Another case of more bust than brain.' He thought to himself, hoping that the tremendous annoyance he felt wasn't a headache in progress.

As the woman went to lead them into the town, Jacob saw someone else lead the horses behind them and made a mental note to tip the boy; feeling sympathy towards him as Fee snuffed his hair playfully and graciously decided to sneeze on him. Focusing on his surroundings, instead of his brother and the woman flirting shamelessly in front of him, Jake noticed how empty and quiet the town seemed. The only noise he could hear was coming from the small procession of people and horses, although the silence was occasionally broken by the boy's yelps and curses as Fee nipped mischievously at him. 'Of course, this town might as well be empty; nothing makes noise like children do.' He thought sadly, as he gazed down empty streets.

Breaking the almost-silence, a carelessly exclaimed "_Scheiße_!" followed the sound of something hitting the ground. Jacob turned in time to see the boy leading Fee and Kastanie pick himself up and poke Fee in the nose. "Stop it!" The youth implored, brushing himself off and looking up just in time to catch the grin on Jake's face. Seeing the glare the boy gave him, Jacob slowed down to wait for him.

"Evil creatures aren't they?" He wondered, casually turning back towards the youth and falling into step beside him, "You know, if you want her to listen to you, you need to hit her." Jacob advised the boy.

"I'm _not_ going to hit her!" He replied indignantly, glaring at Jacob as Fee went to bite him. "She doesn't mean anything by it."

"That's what I always tell myself; hence the reason _why_ she still bites me." Jacob said with a grin, reaching over the boy to pat the "evil creature" who snorted in disgust and nipped viciously at Jake's fingers. "She's just in a foul mood because I haven't been able to give her any sugar cubes lately." Wondering how to address the youth who hadn't given his name or status, Jacob let the silence stretch between them as he realized that the boy wasn't going to reply.

"Stille!" The woman called back to them, stopping Will in front of an inn. "What an idiot," Jacob heard her mutter to Wilhelm as the boy didn't pay her notice. "_Stille_!" She repeated, raising her voice. Jake gently tapped the youth on the shoulder and nodded towards the woman.

"_Scheiße,_" He cursed again quietly, "Yes _sister_?"

"Honestly! Help them unload their baggage and then take their horses into the stables." His sister commanded, as she steered Will towards the inn.

"Alright." Stille replied less than cheerfully as he brought the horses towards the inn and carefully passed the bags to Jacob. "Only two bags Herr?" He questioned as he went to lead the horses away.

"I fear we travel far too lightly," Jacob said as he accepted the bags from Stille. "Oh, and here," Jake began, balancing the luggage and offering Stille a tip. "Consider it reimbursement for dealing with the horse." He explained with a grin.

"Thank you Herr." He said quietly as he took Fee and Kastanie around towards the stable.

As Jake watched Stille lead the horses away, he realized there was _something_ that he was missing and it quickly began to irritate him.

"Jacob!" Wilhelm yelled from the inn's door, "Will you hurry up?"

"Oh, what? Yes I'm coming." Jacob answered, thoroughly aggravated as his brother's voice interrupted his thoughts. Carefully balancing the luggage, he headed towards the door. 'Thanks for the help Will.' He thought, decidedly annoyed with Wilhelm, as he carefully carried the luggage into the inn.

"Give me _those_," Will ordered, quickly grabbing the bags from Jake, "Thank you," He added with a smile, turning to Stille's sister, "We'll be back in a minute. Jake?" Wilhelm wondered over his shoulder as he headed up the stairs. Still in a fair bit of shock over the fact that his brother had _actually_ carried the bags, Jacob slowly followed.

-

"Third door on the left," Will mumbled to himself, abruptly stopping in front of their room, "Jacob, would you please open the door for me?" He wondered, turning back to his brother, who at the moment, looked even more lost than usual. "Jake?" He questioned again, turning to face his brother.

"…Isn't it locked?" He asked, looking suspiciously at Will. "Do you even have a _key_?"

"Of course," Will replied, "I'm not stupid, it's in my jacket pocket. Can you get it so I won't have to put the bags down?" He asked hopefully.

With a hopeless sigh, Jake complied, "Not that you're being lazy or anything _but_…" He joked, as he put his hands in Will's jacket pockets. "Are you sure it's here?" Jacob wondered, feeling that the pockets were indeed empty and looking up at his brother.

"Well then," Will wondered quietly, "Maybe it's in one of my pant pockets." Looking down at Jake, he smiled sheepishly.

"Pant pockets?" Jacob echoed, praying that his face wasn't flushed, "Give me the bags and you can get the key yourself. Honestly Will, how lazy can you be?" He wondered, both annoyed and embarrassed, as he jerked his hands out of his brother's jacket pockets and snatched the luggage from Will's hands. "Well? Get it." He commanded, quickly turning away from his brother as he realized that he was probably, if not certainly, blushing. Even more annoying than his brother's laziness was his incomprehensible sense of "humor" _and_ the fact that he'd almost takenit seriously. Jacob suddenly felt the urge to either yell at Wilhelm or himself, (although the first option wasn't _exactly_ fair to Will.)

"Jake?" Will wondered from inside the room, "Coming?" But seeing the expression on his brother's face, he came back to the doorway and stopped in front of Jake. "Jacob… are you there?" He asked softly, taking the bags from his brother and looking at him worriedly.

"Sorry?" Jake asked, as his brother snapped him back to the here and now, "Were you saying something?" He wondered, somewhat dazed.

"Are you okay?" Will questioned, putting their bags on the bed and heading back to the door.

"Yeah… I was just… thinking." Jacob said slowly, looking carefully at his brother.

"Looked painful," Will joked as he gently pushed his brother back into the hallways and locked the door behind them.

"How'd you…" Jacob began to ask, as Stille's sister appeared at the top of the stairs.

"I'd begun to wonder whether you two got lost," She said with a laugh that seemed far too high-pitched and _girly_ to be genuine. "On to the town hall then, Will." She said with an even more high-pitched and _annoying_ giggle that made Jake cringe, as she looped her arm around Will's possessively.

Sighing to himself, Jacob followed the two of them back out of the inn and into the street, hearing his brother's voice and the woman's giggles float back to him. 'Yet again.' He thought to himself, calmly wondering if wanting to choke a woman that he didn't know made him a bad person. Finding the idea highly tempting, he snickered quietly to himself as they entered the town hall.

-

"Before we get started, would someone be kind enough to tell the story from the beginning?" Will questioned the townspeople, easing into his performance. On cue, Jake took out his journal and balanced it on his lap, pen poised and ready to record anything "important."

"You know," A brunette said as she stood up, "I saw the whole thing happen, it was _terrible_." She cried, putting a hand to her forehead.

"Please go on dear," Will urged her gently with a heart melting smile, as Jacob tried not to roll his eyes.

"I'll try," She replied with a bat of her eyelashes and a toss of her hair, "It happened on the twenty-sixth, at the time I was taking care of Mrs. Rikka's little ones. We were in the kitchen and I was reading them a story, can't remember which one, but all of a sudden I heard someone start to play a lullaby of sorts. I went outside to see who or what it was, after making sure the babes were safe, and I was simply _horrified_." The witness said with a sob. "All our children, they were flocking down the main road; all of them _dancing, _it was one of the strangest things I've ever seen. I tried to call out to them but none of 'em listened to me. They kept on dancing, right past the town gate." She finished with a moan, reaching for her handkerchief.

'That's helpful,' Jake thought sarcastically to himself, 'It's a good thing she _called out to them_; god forbid actually going after them.' Sighing he sat up and cleared his throat. "So were you able to see who or what it was that kidnapped the children?" He wondered aloud.

"What? Oh, no I didn't." She replied, dabbing at her eyes. At this, the whole crowd dropped into an uncomfortable silence.

"Then," Jacob inquired, "_Who_ was it that saw the kidnapper?" And with the question, the silence stretched and deepened. A pin could have been dropped and the sound would have echoed through the hall. "Well someone must have because-" He started again but was quickly cut off by the mayor.

"_I_ saw him." He growled, "Tall man, about your brother's height, bright blonde hair, blue eyes, dressed in a most colorful and flamboyant costume and," He added, pausing, "He had a pipe." Turning to glare at Jacob, the mayor questioned, "Anything else?"

Wondering what he'd done to deserve the glare, Jake continued with the questioning, "Two more things. First, which direction did the children go, and second, how many do you estimate are missing?" At this the crowd broke into discussion.

"They went into the woods!" Some one yelled.

"They're all gone, into a cave!" Another argued.

Clearing his throat, Wilhelm waited for everyone to quiet down and shot Jake an exasperated look. Returning the look, the two brothers waited patiently for silence. As the noise began to die down, an old man who introduced himself as the town record keeper stood up.

"I've counted, and in total we've lost 130 children." He stated quietly, "And the children, by our accounts, went into the forest that separates Hameln and Aalen." He finished, taking his seat.

'A forest.' Jake thought darkly, 'Of course.' Seeing the expression on Will's face, he realized they were thinking the exact same thing. 'What _is_ it with forests?' He wondered to himself as he scribbled down some extra notes.

"Alright," Will started again, "Does anyone know why this… pied piper would have wanted to kidnap your children?" With the silence that followed his question, Jake realized that his brother _really_ shouldn't have asked it.

"Who knows with demons?" One man yelled from the back of the hall, stirring a wave of agreements.

"This town's cursed I tell you!" An old woman croaked from a bench.

'There's one in every town,' Jake thought to himself, trying to hide a smirk.

"Alright. Okay," Will broke in, "We'll be setting off to the forest tomorrow to find the children _and_ to bring them back safely." At his words, the hall filled with cheers and applause.

Not nearly as optimistic as his brother, Jacob wondered exactly _how_ they'd manage to pull this miracle off –even with their usual amount of dumb luck.

---

_A/N: See! I promised this chapter would be longer… and it is, isn't it? (Well, longer than the last few chapters anyways…) Depending on how my weekend goes, the next chapter might be done quickly… or not started at all; it just depends. _

_(Hope this chapter wasn't boring or anything…)_

_And thank you so much, you reviewers!_


	10. Chapter 10

**Sang – Chapter 10**

---

"Now what?" Wilhelm wondered to his brother as he stepped into their room, "How the hell are we supposed to pull this one off?" He groaned, leisurely flopping down onto the bed.

"My thoughts exactly," Jacob admitted, mirroring his brother's sigh, "Even if there was no piper, how are we supposed to collect over a hundred children… from inside a forest?" He doubted, sitting beside Will and beginning to clean his glasses. "I mean four or even ten children I can see being possible. But a hundred and thirty? We'd need a pack of hunting dogs… or _something_." He finished, feeling completely stumped.

"And that's not the only problem; we also need to find out what really happened." Will persisted.

"Eh?" Jacob questioned, turning towards his brother.

"I'm not _that_ dense Jake, even I could tell they weren't telling us the whole story." Will explained, sounding hurt. "I wonder why they lied." He continued, "Who could we tell anyways? We need the money; I'm sure they can tell that from the state we're in."

Immediately feeling guilty for his brother's assumption; Jacob stayed silent, not wanting to further offend Wilhelm.

"_Am_ I really that dense Jacob?" He asked, sitting up from the bed and looking eye to eye with his brother. Seeing his expression, Will frowned, "Oh dear, it's even more serious than I thought." Instantly brushing it off with a laugh, he continued, "Anyways, what do you think everyone's hiding from us?"

"No Will… you're not." Jake said softly. "I think… I'm going to go out for a bit." He decided slowly; visibly caught up in his thoughts.

"You? Go out? What, did a pretty lass catch your eye?" Will wondered with an odd smile, "Be careful, don't get lost or _anything_." He added, kicking off his boots and making himself comfortable on the bed.

"Lass?" Jake clarified, "Not _exactly_." Leaving the rest up to his brother and his misinterpretation, Jacob gave him a small wave and headed out the door.

-

Stepping out of the inn and into the street, Jacob realized that he had absolutely no idea which way he should be heading. Not wanting to get lost, he followed the street as it curved past the inn's stable. The neighborhood was perfectly silent and the only light was shed by a flickering street lamp which barely managed to illuminate the stable's entrance and a forlorn bench near the stable doors. Deciding that this was in fact the best place to wait, Jake stretched out across the bench and settled in. Prepared for a long wait, he pulled out his journal and began looking over his notes on the disappearances. As the night continued, Jacob was reduced to doodling in the margins; completely lost in his fancies and thoughts.

"You know," A voice murmured beside his ear, "All of that, it's wrong."

The voice jerked Jacob out of his thoughts, causing him to leap and fall oh-so-gracefully off the bench and land heavily on his butt.

"Herr, are you alright?" The voice, which Jake quickly realized belonged to Stille, questioned.

"Ahh, _perfectly_ fine." The younger Grimm replied with a groan as he pulled himself back onto the bench. "Before scaring me to death, what were you saying?" He wondered, turning to face the youth.

"Oh. It's just _that_," He said, pointing to the now dusty journal. "You got some of it wrong."

"I got it wrong?" Jacob wondered, unconsciously brushing off the book as he flipped to the last page. "I couldn't have, I copied this word for word from what was said at the… _Oh_." He realized, looking from the book's pages to Stille. "Yes, it is technically wrong, isn't it?" Nodding, the adolescent continued.

"This and this and _certainly_ this are wrong." He explained, dragging his finger along certain parts of the page. Leaning against the back of the bench, he continued. "The piper _wasn't_ dressed in colorful clothes; he was dressed in beautifully dark shades of black. He certainly didn't have blonde hair and blue eyes, his hair was silver and his eyes were… very _dark_." He explained with a shudder while Jacob scribbled down the description as quickly as he could. "Secondly," The young man said with a sigh, "The whole town saw him, they just didn't want to tell you for what reason." As Stille talked slowly enough for Jacob to scribe, he saw the _real_ story sprawl across the pages.

"You see," Stille began again, "Hamelin had been a fairly rich town for some while and everyone was benefiting from its prosperity. But one day, we started finding _rats_," He explained, the word almost a curse. "No one thought anything of it; the townspeople just bought in more cats. Then we started finding the cats dead, every one of them bitten to death by the _vermin_. At this the town began to worry, and we called in exterminator after exterminator. Each one gave us the same response; they said that this town was _cursed_." He spat, "We'd become desperate and had exhausted nearly every option, so when this stranger came into town and told us he could help, everyone jumped at the offer." With a sigh, he shook his head and continued, "The amount he asked for was outrageous, even given our circumstances, but as I said, we were desperate and my _dear_ brother -the mayor- was persuaded by the townspeople to accept the offer, even though he knew we could never afford it." He clarified, moving to sit down on the bench, "We all figured that he'd never succeed and if he did, then we'd worry about it then. But, as you probably guessed, he _did_ succeed, and when the payment never came, he came back and fetched it himself- although it wasn't _exactly_ what we'd had in mind." He finished with a dry laugh,

"Oh." Jacob stated, somewhat shocked as he re-read the last few lines he'd scribbled down. "I… well, _now_ it makes some sense." He concluded, although there was still one thing nagging at his mind. "Stille, how old are you?" He asked, hoping the question wasn't impolite.

"Me?" He wondered slowly, "Almost fifteen."

"But then," Jacob asked, "How come you weren't -didn't…?" He trailed off.

"Oh. _That_. I'm deaf as a post -as my lovely sister likes to put it." He replied, abruptly standing up.

"You are?" Jacob wondered, shocked that he hadn't _quite_ noticed.

"Completely, but I _can_ read lips." He continued with a smirk, "What I find is that there's always a difference between what people say, and what they _mean_." Stille explained with a small bow, "Actions _always_ speak louder than words." He finished, turning to head down the street and slowly disappearing into shadows.

Suppressing a shiver, Jake gathered his pen and journal and headed in the opposite direction, back towards the inn.

---

_A/N: First off; Yey! I actually made it to chapter 10! I'm very excited at the thought and I hope everyone's been enjoying the story (as much as I have been writing it.)_

_Second, this new semester is going to be death, already have a ton of work and it won't get better from here **but!** I still plan on updating "frequently" so… yup! (I'm in a good mood; can't you tell?)_

_Also, thank you for the reviews!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Sang – Chapter 11**

---

"Will?" Jacob questioned as he stepped quietly into their room, "Are you awake?"

"What?" Will questioned from the bed, his voice slurred by sleep, "That was quick." He observed with a smirk as he pulled himself into a sitting position.

Not quite grasping Will's meaning, Jacob shrugged out of him jacket and carefully put his writing materials back into their bag. "Unexpected." He corrected, rubbing his tailbone where it was still tender from the fall.

Hoping that Jake wasn't implying _something_ or other by the gesture, Wilhelm waited for his brother to elaborate as he crossed the room towards the bed.

"Will?" Jake questioned again, as he fumbled with his shirt buttons. Wondering what exactly his brother was doing, Wilhelm tried very, _very_ hard not to stare as Jacob shrugged out of his shirt and let it fall to the floor.

"Eh?" Will exclaimed in surprise as Jake stopped in front of the bed and looked questioningly at his brother.

"How big is it?" He wondered, flopping down onto his stomach along the bed and turning to face Wilhelm.

Choking on his brother's question, Will broke into a coughing fit and managed to put a "_What_!" in between coughs.

"My bruise." Jacob clarified, "Are you okay Will?" He worried, as his brother's coughing died down.

"Yes, _fine_." He responded tersely, looking down his brother's back. "Jake, _what_ did you do to yourself?" He wondered aloud.

"Oh, I fell off a bench," Jacob admitted, trailing off sheepishly, "It was more painful than it sounds…"

"I can see that." Will replied frankly, "It _is_ pretty big." He confirmed, lightly dragging his index finger down Jacob's back and along the bruise. "From here to… here." He demonstrated, his finger brushing along Jake's waistband. "Only _you_ could manage something like this from falling off of a _bench_." He said by his brother's ear with a laugh.

"I know," Jake said with a groan, "It's almost embarrassing." But as he said it, he realized he could have been either talking about the fall or the fact that Will's closeness was making him blush. "We still have some of that lotion, don't we?" He questioned, moving to get up.

"Not sure. You stay here, I'll get it." Will offered, pulling himself off of the bed and towards their luggage. "Glass container right… green gel?" He wondered, producing the aforementioned container from a bag. 'What on earth is it made of?' He wondered suspiciously, as he took back his place on the bed.

Uncapping the container and cautiously dipping his finger in the supposed "pain reliever," he shot his brother a questioning look. "Pain reliever… are you sure?" He doubted, rubbing the curiously slippery substance between his finger and thumb, "Well, I suppose that _would_ account for the minty smell." Wilhelm said hesitantly, as he carefully began to massage the gel onto his brother's lower back, pausing as Jake yelped from beside him.

"S-sorry, I wasn't expecting it." He explained, sounding embarrassed as he snuggled back into the pillow and blankets. Taking that as a sign that he could continue, Will dipped his fingers into the gel and once again began to massage it down Jacob's back.

As Jake let out a contented moan, Will quickly began to notice exactly how warm the room was and how he could somehow feel every fidget and movement of his brother's through his fingers. "Will," His brother breathed, "You're _really_ good at this." Jake admitted; nearly purring. At this, Wilhelm nearly pounced on Jacob and had his way with him right then and there, but with thoughts of cold showers, Will continued to rub the warm and implicit looking substance down his brother's back without a word.

As Will slowly worked his way towards Jake's waistband, he realized exactly how much effort he was exerting towards ignoring his brother, and unsuccessfully tried to put his mind elsewhere. But, much to his disappointment, it kept wandering back to his brother's _pants_.

'Ah, screw it.' Will thought to himself angrily, as he momentarily forgot the gel and grabbed Jacob by the shoulder. He ignored his brother's stunned expression as he swiftly flipped him over and wasted no time in suggestively straddling his hips. Taking a ridiculously large amount of care to be gentle, he pinned Jacob's arms down onto his pillow. With no better idea in mind, Wilhelm slowly lowered himself to meet Jake's lips, pausing as he realized something odd; the room was completely _silent_. One second, Will was staring eye to eye with a startled Jake and the next moment, he was jerked out of his fantasy and back to a far less interesting reality by a yelp from his brother.

"Wilhelm, that hurts!" Jacob exclaimed, as Will's hand continued to put pressure on his bruise. Turning to yell at his brother, Jake noticed his brother flinch and look down to his hands, startled. "What?" Jacob wondered, completely lost at the confused and disgusted look on his brother's face.

"I…I guess, I wasn't paying attention –not enough sleep or something." Will stammered, snapping out of his daze and running a hand through his hair. "Sorry." He stated softly, not knowing what else to say as his brother looked at him worriedly.

"Are you feeling alright?" Jake wondered, sitting up and putting a hand to his brother's forehead.

"Don't touch me." Wilhelm snapped, smacking his brother's hand away and getting up off the bed.

"I was just… I didn't…" Jacob explained softly, not once meeting his brother's eyes.

"Shut _up_." Wilhelm growled at his brother, not wanting to endure another unneeded apology.

His brother's command went unheeded, as Jake began to laugh softly, "Funny isn't it?" He wondered aloud, "No matter where we are or what I do, it's always the same. Sometimes I wonder if my breathing is enough to set you off." Jacob continued quietly, looking down at his hands. "But I..." He trailed off, not trusting himself to continue. In that second, had Jacob looked at up at his brother, he might have seen something entirely unexpected but feeling beaten, he kept his gaze lowered and waited for his brother's likely reaction.

Not quite expecting but entirely deserving the flood of guilt his brother's remark gave him; Will froze. "I see." He stated flatly, "Is that an eloquent way of implying that you hate me?" He wondered; having paid more attention to his brother's actions than his words, Will could clearly see how their relationship had degraded. Jacob, his own _brother_, wouldn't even look him in the eyes. Silently adding this to his list of 'Reasons why I'm going to hell when I die,' Will waited for his brother's retort.

"You don't get it, do you?" Jacob asked, his eyes down, "I… well -I don't hate you. How could I?" He asked softly.

"How could you?" Will repeated to himself, "How _couldn't_ you?" He asked faintly, in complete disbelief.

"You're… my brother." Jake explained, still avoiding Wilhelm's gaze, "I _can't_ hate you."

"_Can't_. It's such a final word Jacob." Wilhelm said with a smirk, "Just because I'm your brother is no reason _not_ to hate me. I guarantee that there are at least a hundred things I could do to make you hate me, don't you think?" He asked, his smirk still in place.

"No Wilhelm, I don't." He clarified, warily pulling himself to the edge of the bed.

"Oh, then what _do_ you think Jacob? Do you think your life is so bad that nothing worse could possibly happen?" Will snarled, "If you ever bothered to step outside your fairytale, you'd realize what kind of place this world really is. Not that I'd ever _expect_ you to." Wilhelm ended sharply.

"I… suppose not." Jake replied with a terribly false grin. "I thought you already knew not to _expect_ much of me." He added as he moved across the room to retrieve his shirt.

Pointedly ignoring his brother's remark, Will sighed and went to grab his jacket; turning back to face Jacob, "I need a drink," he stated.

"No you don't." Jake stated quietly, "You just _want_ one; they're two completely different things." He explained as he shrugged back into his shirt.

"Not really, they both result in me going out for a drink." He said with a smirk.

"It's too late for a drink and plus, we're leaving town tomorrow, now is definitely _not_ the time to go get drunk." Jacob advised, stepping in front of the door, "And besides, we can't afford another one of your drinking sprees." He added irritably, avoiding his brother's glare.

"And you decided on this?" Will asked in a low voice, "Rules are only affective when you can enforce them." As he said this, he stepped towards Jake, forcing him back against the door. "And last time I checked… you _couldn't_."

"You're right." Jacob said with a sigh, "I can't but then again, I never claimed I _could_." He said softly, as he warily brought his gaze up to meet Will's, "You know that." He said quietly.

"I do." He assured him, forcefully taking Jake's face in his hand and tilting it up towards his own. "I never doubted it." He said smugly, as he slowly ran his thumb over Jacob's lips.

Not quite sure whether Wilhelm was about to kill him orkiss him; Jake froze, automatically assuming that the former was imminent. As his brain slowly began to work, he uselessly pushed against his brother's chest, "I thought we'd already established the fact that I was stronger?" Will whispered in his ear as he violently pinned one of Jacob's hands to the door.

Trying to ignore the pain that shot up his wrist, Jake kept silent as he wondered why every single conversation they had seemed to end with Wilhelm _somehow_ injuring him. "Wilhelm," Jacob said softly, "Please… just… _stop_." He pleaded.

Jake tried not to look completely confused when Will adjusted his grip on his hand, lessening the pain and twining his fingers through his brother's. A second later, a sharp bang from beside his head startled Jacob out of his thoughts, as his brother put a hand over his mouth. Taking Will's cue, Jake fell silent and waited for another knock against the door.

"I guess they must be out." A whiny, high-pitched voice sulked.

"But their light's on." Another woman's voice argued from outside the door, which was followed by a louder knock. "It's too bad, that Will Grimm was handsome, wasn't he?"

As Jacob realized that one of the voices belonged to Stille's sister, he looked up at his brother who had paled. "Please. Quiet." He mouthed silently to Jake, who had an urge to laugh at Will; it served him right for flirting with every woman he met.

"I guess they aren't here," The first voice whispered, "But I could have sworn I heard noises." She said suspiciously.

"Forget about it; let's go," The second one added, "There'll always be a next time." As two sets of footsteps headed down the hall, the brothers both let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding.

"Thank god." Will muttered as he took his hand off of Jacob's mouth, "That would have been the last thing I'd want to deal with." He said with a grimace. "There's no way in hell I'm going outside with _that_ lurking around."

While Jacob was thankful that his brother's anger had been deflected elsewhere, Jake almost _wanted_ him to leave. If only to give himself time to think about what had just happened or rather, what was happening between the two of them. But at the moment, to be completely honest, he wanted nothing more than to go to sleep and stay there, so with that thought, he slowly moved to untangle their fingers.

Jake found it almost funny to think that not even a year ago, he had only dreamt of just once being able to hold Wilhelm's hand… but now this parody of intimacy between them almost made him sick. This, whatever it was, felt even more painful to Jacob than the women that his brother constantly brought back to his bed. 'It's fake.' He thought sadly, as he slowly pulled their hands apart, 'It always was.' He added coldly, letting out a dry laugh which caused Will to give him a strange look.

"What?" He wondered aloud, yanking his hand away and glaring at his brother. "What?" He repeated quietly, dropping his gaze once again to the floor.

"_You_… forget it." Will retorted, only just managing to disguise the way he glanced from his brother's downcast face to his empty hand. "I'm going to bed." Wilhelm added flatly. Not bothering to elaborate, he abruptly turned away from his brother and true to his word, headed towards the bed, kicking off his boots as he went.

'Now what?' Jacob wondered, feeling confused; for the first time in his life he wasn't entirely sure that he _wanted_ to be near Wilhelm. The last thing he saw was his brother extinguish the light as the room fell into darkness. Taking that as a sign that his company wouldn't be missed, Jake slowly slid down the door into a seated position and decided that for the moment, sleeping on the floor wasn't _really_ such a bad idea.

---

_A/N: Okay, this chapter… what did everyone think of it? Fairly long chapter (in comparison to the others,) eh? I figured I might as well have it ready for V-Day (I hate this day.) Why ready for today? I have no idea, it just kind of happened... _

_Second, in reference to the questions I got about the werewolf, I'm not telling whether we'll be seeing him again (lol) you'll just have to wait and see… but I'm glad you guys like him. _

_Third… at the moment I'm having difficulties writing the next part of the story, I know what I want to happen _after_ that part but _argh_… I just don't know. I guess I've been too busy to really think about it but I've been trying and no real success. Despite that, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and all you reviewers get nice Valentines Day cookies! (Or, if you're like me, I'll give you some Anti-Valentines-Day-cookies, complete with black icing!)_

_-Yes I know I'm not cool, hehe-_


	12. Chapter 12

**Sang – Chapter 12**

---

"Ugh." Jake muttered to himself as he uselessly tried to stretch out his cramped back and it occurred to him, not for the first time, that maybe sleeping on the floor hadn't been a good idea after all. 'But of course, _he_ didn't lose a second of sleep.' Jacob thought irritably to himself as he glared at Will, who was talking cheerfully with the mayor. Suppressing a yawn, Jacob adjusted his glasses and went to join his brother.

"So that will be the fixed amount, however if you two miraculously manage to retrieve all the children, then I'm sure the townspeople and I could be convinced to augment the payment." The mayor explained to Will, not once bothering to glance at Jacob, "So do we have a deal Herr?"

"Yes but-" Wilhelm began to argue, but was swiftly interrupted by the mayor.

"Oh, are you two in need of a guide?" He inquired, "Because I could find someone if you'd like." The mayor gladly offered.

"No _guides._" Will growled, "That is… I'm sure we'll be able to manage without endangering someone else." He explained quickly.

"Alright, no guide. Is there anything else that you two require?" The mayor wondered, "Any other supplies? A map perhaps?"

"No, Jacob has the map situation taken care of but a compass might be of use to us." Will ventured.

At this, Jacob had to resist the urge to laugh, '_Use_ to us? Really Wilhelm… if only you'd thought of that _before_ pawning if off for a few rounds of ale.' He thought to himself with contempt. '…not that it was even yours to pawn.' Jake added hopelessly as he abruptly left to go check on their horses and supplies.

-

"Pardon me, Herr?" A voice questioned softly from behind Jacob.

"Yes?" He wondered, turning away from Fee's halter and towards a petite blonde woman.

"I just wanted to wish you and your brother luck; I hope you can rescue my little sister." She explained, balancing on her toes and giving Jacob a peck on the lips.

"Thank you…?" Jacob faltered, somewhat thrown off by her forwardness as she darted back towards a group of giggling young women. Feeling someone's gaze on him, Jake turned back to Fee's halter just in time to see Wilhelm drop his eyes down to Kastanie's saddle. 'Lovely,' Jacob thought sarcastically to himself, 'I bet Will had his eye on her and now he's angry.' Not sure exactly _how_ it would be considered his own fault; Jacob finished with Fee's halter and waited for his brother's cue to leave.

-

"Always such a commotion when we set off." Wilhelm noted pointlessly, as the two brothers passed through the town gates.

"Well, you know," Jacob argued, looking back over at Will, "They haven't got that many choices, they can either wish us luck or give up hope altogether." He explained as he let Fee slow down into a trot. "And there's no need to tire the horses before we get into the forest." Jake added as he searched through his saddlebag.

"Of course Jacob," Will replied, not quite managing to keep the edge out of his voice as he reined in Kastanie.

"What now?" Jacob wondered; they both knew it was common sense not to needlessly push the horses, so why did Wilhelm sound annoyed?

"That woman wasn't just 'wishing you luck' was she?" Will asked, trying to keep his voice level.

"Well it certainly seemed that she was, so why would it matter?" Jacob rebutted, "If I got angry every time someone kissed _you_, we'd fight at least twice a week!" He exclaimed, thoroughly annoyed at the way Will assumed that he had every right to get angry, yet he also expected Jake to accept whatever _he_ did with a smile.

"Do you count them or something?" Will wondered aloud with a smirk.

"Count what?" Jacob wondered as he pulled a small leather-bound book from his saddlebag.

"My kisses." He elaborated, smirk still in place.

"Which kisses?" Jacob wondered absently, as he began to casually flip through his book.

"Do you categorize them as well?" Will wondered, suppressing a laugh.

"Of course, you've had fifteen this month with blonde women, eleven with brunette women; not to mention two or three uncategorized men." Jacob said dryly, turning his attention once again towards his book.

"I was drunk." Wilhelm explained quickly; earning himself a stare from his brother.

"Okay, well _I _was kidding but let's pretend that I _didn't_ hear that." Jacob slowly, as he continued to keep his gaze on the book's pages.

"Oh. Well who says I _wasn't_ kidding?" Wilhelm wondered with a forced grin.

"No one." Jacob replied disinterestedly as he continued to flip through the book.

"Good, now Jake about the-" Wilhelm began to ask but was quickly cut off by his brother.

"Take the left fork in the road." He stated, keeping his eyes on the book, "And the next fork is going to be a right." He added in a bored voice.

"Ah… right." Wilhelm answered, leading his horse down the fork. "Good book?" He asked hopelessly, realizing that once again he'd lost Jacob's attention to a _book_.

"Mhmm." Jake mumbled, "Weiss gave it to me when we were leaving."

"For what?" Wilhelm wondered, not bothering to hide his suspicion.

"For _free_." Jacob answered sharply, "He just thought it might be useful for us. You know _some_ people aren't completely selfish." He snapped, turning back to the book. "And you know; it's not even as if I had anything worth stealing." He added.

"So you're telling me that you didn't have anything that was worth the book's value and that he gave it to you for 'free.'" His brother wondered skeptically.

"Exactly, Will." Jacob said with a sigh, this time not bothering to look up at his brother.

"And that doesn't sound at all suspicious to you?" Will persisted, knowing as he did so that he was arguing purely for the sake of it.

"Not really, he was _just_ being nice." Jake said, feeling annoyed not only by the fact that his brother was keeping him from reading but also by the fact that he was being aggravating on purpose. "You're acting like a ten year old child, Wilhelm." He added irritably.

"Don't I always?" Will wondered with a smirk as he reclined in his saddle, "It's a pity that I can't take a nap on the way." He said with a grin as he waited for his brother's reply, "Alright, you win! I'll leave you alone for the rest of the afternoon." Wilhelm said with a defeated voice, dropping his grin as Jacob continued to ignore him.

"Promise?" Jacob wondered after a moment, grinning, "I'm just kidding!" He clarified, seeing his brother's disappointed expression. "I just need to see what's in here, this book seems pretty useful." Jacob explained with an apologetic smile.

"If you say so." Will said with a yawn, "This is going to be another long day, isn't it?" He guessed, noting that once again, Jacob was immersed in his book. "Make that another long _trip_." He added with a sigh.

---

_A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner but RL and writer's block decided to team up on me, along with a lack of motivation to write and general blah-ness… I like this story, I really do but I just wish some parts would write themselves._

_But on a better note, I really really love you reviewers! You guys get... cupcakes! With lots of sprinkles and icing!_


	13. Chapter 13

**Sang – Chapter 13**

**---**

_A/N: Small references in this chapter: Cain and Abel are the first and second sons of __Adam and Eve__, born after the __Fall__. Cain commits the first __murder__ by killing his brother after __God__ rejects his sacrifice but accepts Abel's and so, God curses Cain to wander the earth. _

Second, the lines that Jacob quotes are by Charles Beaudelaire, a French poet from the the same time period as the brothers. Quoted from his poem Abel et Caïn. (And yes I probably got some of this information wrong.)

---

As they unhurriedly made their way along the dreary and deserted road, Wilhelm slowly began to feel annoyed with his brother. Not once this afternoon had Jacob bothered to look up from his book or speak a word to him. Even as Wilhelm had asked which direction to turn, Jake had pointed unenthusiastically and had turned back to his blasted _book_. Knowing that he had promised to leave his brother alone, he still found it impossible for Jacob to be concentrating so intently on a single page. Will had been watching Jake (for lack of anything else to do,) for the past half hour and he'd yet to see his brother turn to the next page. Subtly nudging his horse towards Jacob, Will slowly leaned across his saddle and glanced at his brother who looked completely absorbed in his thoughts. His eyes were slightly unfocused and his lips were pressed together in an uncharacteristic frown, which made Will all the more curious as to what Jacob was thinking so carefully about. Settling himself back down in his saddle, Will wondered exactly why his brother had such a troubled expression. 'Now what could he be brooding about?' Will thought to himself, as it hit him, 'Of course.' He realized with a sigh, 'He's probably wondering what the hell's wrong with his brother.' Running a hand through his hair, Wilhelm wondered whether he had the courage to approach Jake on the subject of what had happened last night. 'What a conversation that'll be,' Will thought to himself sarcastically, "My dear younger brother, I have something very important to tell you. You see, after months of agonizing over the fact, I've finally came to the conclusion that I…" Wilhelm trailed off, as he looked up into his brother's surprised face. At Jacob's expression, Will felt his throat go dry as he realized he'd spoken his last thought out loud.

"You what?" Jacob wondered, completely intrigued by the self-mocking "oh crap!" grin frozen on Will's face.

"I… I want to settle down somewhere; you know… find a gorgeous wife and have kids." He explained with an expansive gesture, "You know, the classic happy ending, I want that."

"A wife. Kids." Jacob echoed faintly, "Isn't that what _everyone_ wants?" He asked bitterly, not quite managing to keep the scorn out of his voice.

"Well, isn't that what _you_ want?" Wilhelm asked defensively, wishing he could take back his statement.

"No Will. That's not at all what I want." He snapped, "I thought you… out of _everyone_ would be able to understand that." Jacob added, abruptly turning back to his book.

"Then, what _do_ you want Jacob?" Will wondered, his serious tone compelling Jake to pause and think.

"I want… rather; I _don't_ want to be tied down to one place for the rest of my life." He explained, running a finger over the book's soft leather cover, "Seeing new things… writing my stories… After seeing the things we've seen, I don't know if I _could_ ever give it up." He said sadly, "But I guess that's what makes us so different, right Will?" Jake added with a half-hearted grin.

"Wait, are you saying you don't want to get married? You don't want a family?" Will persisted, feeling compelled to hear his brother's answer.

"I never said that I didn't want to get _married_… I just don't-" Jacob froze, horrified as he realized that he'd nearly said '…_want a wife_.' "I mean, I don't want to be tied down." He amended, dropping his gaze to fidget with the corner of his book.

"Ah?" Will questioned, "So you _do_ want to get married but you don't… what? Want kids?" He clarified, nudging his horse closer to Jacob's.

"Something like that." He answered vaguely, flipping his book back open, "It doesn't really matter."

"Of course it matters!" Will persisted, "Don't you want a happy ending?" He wondered softly.

"No Will," He answered softly, "I've thought about it, and I realized that I'll never have one. No now, not when I die… _Race d'Abel, dors, bois et mange; Dieu te sourit complaisamment… Race de Caïn, dans la fange; Rampe et meurs misérablement_." He recited in a singsong voice, "You know as well as I do what happened to Cain," Jacob continued bitterly, "How different will it be for me?"

"You're an idiot," Will retorted firmly. "Your story and Cain's are nothing alike." He assured Jake with a smile.

"The scar on your chest says differently." He snapped, turning back towards his book. "So does the fact that she, she's-" Jacob stuttered, finding it impossible to voice his argument.

"You're wrong; they _both_ mean nothing of the sort." Will said softly leaning over his saddle and putting a hand on Jake's shoulder, "You just need to see that."

Forcefully shrugging his brother's hand off of his shoulder, Jacob pointedly kept his eyes down on the book's pages. "It's nice of you to say that Will but it would be a lot easier to believe if you didn't always yell the opposite at me every time we fight." He said softly.

At this, Wilhelm felt a stab of guilt, "But Jake… Jacob," He implored, "You know as well as I do that the things people say when they're angry aren't necessarily the truth. At least I know it's the case for me and I can't keep myself from hoping that it's the same for you when we fight." He finished hopelessly.

"Then why say them at all?" Jake snapped, slamming his book closed and sharply ending the conversation.

-

The silence between the two of them stretched and seemed to thicken with every minute, muting the sounds of the horses' hooves and the clinking of their luggage. The awkward silence soon began to make Jake feel uncomfortable and he quickly began to fidget from boredom. He then began to feel curious as to how Will was passing the time, although he felt far too embarrassed and stubborn to glance back at his brother and check. It was childish, Jake knew it and he was sure that his brother knew it, but after hearing Will's stupidly close-minded ideas on life, he felt upset. He wasn't upset because his brother had the nerve to disturb him with such a pointless statement but rather the statement's message –intended or not- tore at Jacob. 'Although it's only natural, isn't it… me and Wilhelm eventually going our separate ways, it's what'll happen in the end. But then _why_ did I never think of it?' He wondered, as he realized how defeated he felt. 'Will's right, I must live in a fairytale. What kind of idiot can honestly believe that our stories will _both_ end happily? He wants a wife and children and I can give him neither. I could tell him that I love him, more so than any woman that I've ever laid eyes on. I could… could never tell him _that;_ he'd leave or worse, he'd laugh and call it a joke.' Jacob realized with a groan, as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and adjusted his glasses.

'Only he would be dense enough not to get it.' Jake added dryly.

-

'I'm an idiot.' Will affirmed, as he quickly glanced at his brother from the corner of his eye, 'Only _I_ have the capability to say something that stupid.' He added; biting his bottom lip as he once again glanced at Jake, who seemed to have fallen back into one of his brooding moods. 'Only I would panic like that. Only I could find a way to accidentally turn the conversation to _that_.' Will thought bitterly, 'Although Jake's entirely right, I'm not exactly tactful when we fight. It's just that I don't what else to say, he's perfect; he's everything I'm _not_. How am I supposed to argue that?' He wondered with a frustrated sigh.

-

"Jacob?" Will questioned suddenly, as he realized how much of the afternoon had slipped away, "Jake!" Wilhelm added, forcefully jarring his brother out of his thoughts, "The horses need a rest." He stated flatly, noticing how Jacob had jumped when he'd raised his voice.

"Oh, right… of course!" Jake exclaimed, snapping out of his daze and vaulting off Fee. "Poor girl," He said softly, comforting her as he led her off the road and towards a sparse clump of trees, "I should've been paying more attention to the time." Jake said guiltily as Will followed suite and brought Kastanie over to join her sister under the tree's shade. It wasn't particularly hot, given that it was still only June but it felt oddly refreshing under the tree's meager shadow.

"There you go," Will said with a smile as he fed his horse, "Now we just need to find you two some water, where did Jake… _Jake_?" He wondered aloud, seeing Fee tied up beside Kastanie, already eating and his brother nowhere in sight.

"I'm over here Will," He heard his brother's voice drift over from somewhere behind the trees and Fee. Wondering what had distracted Jacob _this_ time, Will tied his horse up and went to see what his brother was up to. "Isn't this interesting?" Jake wondered enthusiastically, as he leaned over the edge of a small, clear pond. "You can see the bottom and everything, Will!" He explained, looking like a child as he balanced precariously over the pond.

"Stand back." Wilhelm ordered, realizing that with his brother's natural klutziness and proximity to the pond, the chance of Jacob falling in face first was astronomical; if not altogether inevitable. "You'll fall in." He continued, quickly making his way towards Jake and entirely prepared to fish him out of the pond.

"I'm not a child." Jacob argued distractedly, ignoring his brother's concern as he tempted fate by balancing even _further_ forward.

"_Jake!_" Will implored, moving to stand behind the younger man, "I'll give you three seconds to carefully move away from the pond." He threatened, wincing at how childish they were both being. "One. Two…" Pausing, he took a deep breath and muttered: "_Three_." Reaching out precariously far himself, Wilhelm grabbed his brother by the waist and pulled him backwards.

As soon as he pulled, Will realized that his brother was a lot lighter than he'd assumed. This miscalculation sent them both flying backwards; the older of the two impacting heavily with the ground and the younger sprawling on top of him.

"Will!" Jacob began, feeling startled as his brain tried to catch up to his mouth, "What was that for?" He asked, looking over his should to glare at his brother.

"You were going to fall." He stated, letting out a moan as a dull pain began to spread up and down his back.

"I wasn't!" Jake retorted angrily from his slight vantage point on his brother's lap.

"You were. You _always_ fall Jacob." Will explained flatly, dropping his hands listlessly from Jake's hips, "Get up, you're heavy." He continued in a monotone voice, placing his hands in the small of his brother's back and pushing him forward.

"Right," Jacob answered cautiously, pulling himself up and turning back towards his brother to offer a hand up. "Sorry." He offered, as Will accepted his outstretched hand and pulled himself up.

"Never mind," Wilhelm answered, sounding unusually distracted, "I'm going to go give the horses a drink. Don't. Fall. In." He added, turning towards Fee.

"I won't." Jacob answered, sounding more like a twelve year old than a grown man.

'Of course he won't,' Will thought dryly to himself; he knew the extent of his brother's clumsiness and was expecting the silence to be broken any instant by a splash. As he untied the horses' halters from around the tree and led them to the pond, he was both relieved and surprised to see that his brother had stopped examining the pond and had moved on to studying a tree. Not knowing or caring about what exactly made a _tree_ so interesting to look at, Wilhelm assumed that it appealed to the scholarly side of his brother's personality and continued to lead the horses to the pond.

-

"Will?" Jake wondered as he walked around the horses and spotted his brother reclining against the base of a tree, looking oddly content with a small grin and closed eyes feinting sleep.

"Eh?" He wondered lazily, cracking an eye open to look up at Jake, "What?"

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand." Jacob directed him with a grin.

If anyone else had made such a request, Wilhelm would never have complied but he knew that Jake wasn't the kind of person to play practical jokes, so grin in place; he closed his eyes and lazily held out his hand.

Feeling Jacob gently turn his hand so that his palm faced downwards, Will felt something cold and smooth slide down his ring finger to rest at its base.

"Wow, it actually fits." Jacob wondered aloud, as Will yanked his hand back in surprise and opened his eyes to stare in shock at a piece of metal encircling his finger, in other words: a _ring_. A thin, delicate, silver band with what looked to be a pale sapphire was perched elegantly on his finger, appropriately enough, on his _ring_ finger. "Isn't it beautiful?" Jacob wondered, oblivious to Will's distress over the jewelry.

"What are you…? Why…? Jake!" Wilhelm stuttered, his usual eloquence abandoning his as he looked from the ring to his now concerned brother. Taking a very, _very_, deep breath, Will took a moment to collect himself and started again: "Jacob, what are you thinking?" He asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Jake answered helplessly, unsure of what his brother was upset over. "I found it in an empty bird's nest and since it was too big for even my index finger, I figured that you might like it." He explained dejectedly; moving away from Will to stroke Fee's mane.

"Oh." Wilhelm responded faintly, "Then why did you put it on this finger?" He questioned, realizing that once again he'd misinterpreted Jacob's actions.

"What's wrong with that finger?" Jacob wondered, wearily holding up his right hand, "It doesn't mean anything on this hand." He explained, pointing to his brother's hand which mirrored his own.

"Your right -_my left_." Will muttered, "You _still_ make that mistake?" He wondered in amazement, "You've been doing it for years Jake." He finished with a small sigh.

"Really?" Jacob asked softly, as a pale blush spread across his face, "Sorry." He mumbled, looking away from his brother.

"Don't worry," Wilhelm assured his brother, "After all, it was just an accident." He added easily, playing with a loose string on his jacket.

"Exactly." Jake answered quickly, as he turned to his saddlebag and began digging through it.

"If you take out that damn book; I'll throw it in the pond." Will growled irritably, as he pulled himself up to a standing position and lazily stretched out his back, not knowing whether to wince or moan as his spine satisfyingly popped. "I think we should be getting back on track Jake." He suggested as Jacob pulled _another_ book out of his bag. "Jacob." Will warned his brother as he began flipping through his new book, "Put. It. Away." He growled.

"It's a map Will," Jake explained calmly, "I need to see how far the next lodging is. Well, that's assuming that you don't want to sleep outside." He added, sounding annoyed.

"Oh, right." Wilhelm answered sheepishly, "Sorry." He said quietly, as he began to check over Kastanie's saddle and reins.

"Don't worry." Jacob replied doubtfully. '_Sorry_.' He repeated to himself in disbelief as he absent-mindedly flipped through his book. 'And he actually _meant_ it.' Jake thought in astonishment. "If we hurry, we'll be able to find somewhere to stay before nightfall." He added, tucking his book back into his saddlebag and untying Fee's halter.

"Ready?" Will questioned as they simultaneously mounted their horses.

"I guess." His brother answered with a smile; somewhere in the back of his mind realizing that Wilhelm had yet to take the ring off.

---

_A/N: Okay, writing this chapter was interrupted so many times! Mostly by English and Math homework but also by me getting the flu. Yey. Buuut, the only reason I was able to finish this chapter now (instead of in like two/three weeks) is because I stayed home sick. (Yey again.)_

_So this chapter (the beginning anyways) was the result of trying to write through writer's block. So please excuse it's general badness. (Same goes for the end of the chapter which was a result of me being sick and lacking sleep.)_

_I wouldn've liked to have been able to update over march break but I'm going to Europe (even Germany!) I'm so excited! But I'll try my best to get a chapter out before the end of march. _

_And I L-O-V-E you reviewers. Like… LOVE!_


	14. Chapter 14

**Sang – Chapter 14**

---

"Good evening Herr," Will began with a strange sense of déja-vu as the cottage door leisurely swung a foot or two open.

Wilhelm had no idea why the scene felt so familiar but he had almost expected Weiss to answer the door. As it were, the circumstances were entirely opposite from their last lodging plea; Jacob was fully-conscious, the sky wasn't in the least bit overcast and the face that greeted the two brothers didn't look at all happy.

"Good evening," The stranger replied in a bored tone, "Names and purpose, please." He added, looking over the two brothers disinterestedly.

Slightly taken aback by the man's directness, Will froze his smile in place and continued. "I'm Wilhelm Grimm and this is Jacob Grimm," He explained with a small gesture to his brother, "And we're in dire need of lodging." Will added, holding back a sigh.

"Ah, is that so?" He wondered coolly, as Will noticed his distinct aristocratic drawl, "…_And?_" The man prompted as he began to play with a piece of his hair.

"And we'd like to request lodging from you, Herr." Wilhelm said through clenched teeth. "We can pay if you'd like." He added, thoroughly annoyed with the man's attitude.

"Really?" He wondered languidly, "Well I would hate to rain on your figurative parade but I…" The stranger paused and glanced from Will over to Jacob, "Are you two scholars?" He asked, for the first time seeming partially interested in their conversation.

Wondering what had caused such a sudden change of subject, Will glanced over at Jacob who had once again pulled out his small leather bound book and was flipping through it, completely oblivious to the other two men. "_He_ is." Wilhelm answered with a sigh, as he realized that they'd no doubt be sleeping out under the stars that night.

"Mhm," The man stated, taking another speculative look at the two brothers, "I'm Herr Lehrer." He added, taking a step backwards and swinging the door fully open.

Wondering whether that meant they could stay, Will paused uncertainly.

"Did you want a place to sleep or not?" Herr Lehrer wondered with a smirk, "Put your horses in the paddock and come in." He instructed lazily.

-

"So," The man stated with a curt gesture, "Welcome to my humble abode."

Although not exactly _humble_, it was most certainly welcoming. The walls were paneled with dark polished wood; the floors were tiled in pale golds and deep reds. Once again, it seemed that his brother had chose an excellent place to stay, Jacob noted as he carefully wiped off his boots and followed their host down a short hallway. As their host began instructing them on where they could leave their bags, Jacob found himself watching the other man carefully. The first thing that struck Jake about the other man was his skin; it was pale and spotless, not a scar or blemish to be seen. If his manner of speaking hadn't given away his status, then this surely would have. His hair in contrast, was dark and seemed to glow copper where the light shone on it. Like his hair; Lehrer's eyes seemed to come alive as the light illuminated them, almost resembling those of a cat as they turned a wonderfully dark shade of gold. Jacob noticed, only as an afterthought, that not unlike himself, the other man wore glasses; although unlike his own, they were spotless and rectangular.

It was only _after_ their host had stopped talking and turned to Jake, that he realized he'd been staring. Feeling foolish as he felt his face flush, Jacob gave the other man a small smile and turned his gaze towards Will, who glared back. "_Well_," Lehrer continued, "As I was saying, the spare room is at the end of this hallway." He indicated with a curt gesture, "If you need me, I will most likely be in the study, which is up those stairs and to the right." Stifling a yawn, their host turned on his heel and left in the direction of the aforementioned study.

Carrying their baggage, Wilhelm stalked past his brother and down the hallway; not once glancing at Jake. Not exactly eager to be yet again reprimanded by his brother, Jacob made his way down the hallway at a much slower pace, knowing some kind of dispute or another was unarguably imminent.

-

"Were you trying to get us thrown out?" Wilhelm wondered accusingly as his brother stepped into the room, gently pulling the door shut behind him. "Well?" He asked again, wondering whether Jake had even heard the question.

"No." His brother answered quietly, "I didn't -I mean, I wasn't. I didn't mean to." Jake replied, stumbling over the words as he resisted the urge to fidget with his glasses. "I just wasn't paying attention, sorry." He finished, staring fixedly at the floor.

"Weren't paying attention?" Will echoed, stepping towards his younger brother, "You _were_ paying attention; to Lehrer that is." He snapped, and paused, taking a breath, "What were you…?" Wilhelm wondered, his anger slowly giving way to curiosity as he studied Jacob.

"What was I doing?" Jake replied cautiously, 'Good question.' He though to himself, as he forced himself to bring his eyes up to meet Will's. "I was just looking at him." Jacob answered cautiously. His brother exhaled slowly, meaning that Jake's answer wasn't the one he was looking for.

"Okay," Wilhelm restarted, "_Why_ were you looking at him?" He asked, prompting his brother to elaborate.

"Why?" Jake repeated faintly, as he forced himself to keep his gaze level. "He… reminded me of someone." Jacob finished dully, wishing that his brother would just let him go to bed in peace.

"Oh. Really?" His brother wondered, pausing to think, "Anyone I know?" He asked absentmindedly, as he turned away from Jacob and set his attention on their baggage.

"I don't know." Jake replied, letting out a small sigh of relief as he realized that this argument hadn't led up to a fight; although he still didn't know precisely _what_ this specific argument had been about. Try as he may, Jacob just couldn't see the problem Will had with him looking at another man. 'Another man.' He thought to himself, 'The way I phrase it, you'd think I was talking about a jealous husband.' Jake realized, 'Congratulations Jacob, you've just hit a new low in your life.' He finished with a sigh as he went over to retrieve some of his belongings from the luggage.

"I'm going to go give Kastanie and Fee supper," Will stated, as his brother came up beside him and grabbed one of the luggage pieces.

"Alright?" Jake answered hesitantly, "Didn't you already feed them?" He questioned uncertainly, as he rummaged unsuccessfully through the baggage.

"Not yet," Will responded as he headed out of the bedroom, "I'll be back in a bit." Jake heard his brother say as the door closed behind him.

"Now what's poor Will supposed to do for fun? There isn't a tavern or whore for miles around." Jacob thought aloud, smirking as he continued to search fruitlessly through their luggage for his books. Realizing that he'd no doubt left them in his saddlebag, Jake cursed, abandoning his search and slipping out the door in an effort to catch Wilhelm before he went outside.

-

Hearing the guestroom door open and shut repeatedly, Lehrer let out an exasperated sigh and listened intently. He heard the heavier set of boots walk briskly down the hallway, pausing as their owner fumbled with the bolts that flanked the main entrance's doorway. Lehrer smirked to himself in satisfaction; after all, he was the one who'd installed the locks. His smirk nearly faltered when he heard the door finally swing open, but then he brought to mind the fact that locks were meant to keep people _out_;not in.

Hearing a second, softer set of boots make their way out of the guestroom and down the hallway, he held back a snarl and silently stalked out of his study.

---

_A/N: I'm sorry! Will you guys forgive me? I do believe I haven't updated in over three weeks. I tried to think up plot on the long plane rides… but I just couldn't. And then I got home, all ready to type and once again, I couldn't. So if this chapter seems worse than usual… please excuse it. (I did try though!) In fact the only reason I got this chapter finished at all is because I have the day off school. _

_Now; the slightly happier news. This story's gotten over 7000 hits. How and why? I have no idea. But it does indeed make me happy, along with you amazing readers/reviewers, I hope I've keeping up to your expectations!_

_And lastly, I'd like to take a second to pimp out my POTC fanfic… dunno if anyone here likes Sparrington pairings… but I'd like some constructive criticism about it. On the plus side, it's finished so you won't have to wait for this lazy author to update. If anyone's interested, it's on my profile page. Heh. _


	15. Chapter 15

**Sang – Chapter 15**

---

Not wanting to disturb their host any further, Jacob took exaggerated care to walk quietly towards the front entrance, seeing as it _really_ wouldn't be fun getting kicked out of the house at this time of night. Realizing that his brother was nowhere in sight, and that the front door was locked and bolted shut, Jake began to wonder whether Wilhelm had taken a wrong turn or had used a different exit. He then entertained the idea of paying their host a visit but immediately discarded it as he recalled Lehrer's temperament. 'So ...cold,' Jacob thought to himself, as tried to guess where Will had gone. Considering the fact that they both didn't know where anything was in the house _except_ for Lehrer's study, Jake wondered if perhaps his brother had gone upstairs to talk to their host. Without a better guess in mind, Jacob turned towards the stairway and paused, with a foot on the bottom step. He was almost certain that something behind him had made a noise. Not feeling particularly brave or inquisitive at the moment, he ignored the noise, put a hand on the banister to steady himself, and froze.

"Looking for something?" A voice drawled beside his ear, "Whatever it is, I can _guarantee_ you won't find it up there." The voice continued, giving Jake goose bumps as he felt Lehrer's breath on his skin.

'It smells like mint _tea_,' Jake found himself noticing absentmindedly, as he forced a polite smile and turned around to face his host. "Good evening Herr," Jacob greeted the other man, feeling understandably unnerved by his proximity. "Actually, I was just looking for you," Jake began, "I was wondering if you'd seen Wilhelm."

The other man paused, seeming to think up and discard responses in his head, "Wilhelm?" He wondered out loud, "I think I heard him go outside." Lehrer said, a small smirk playing across his lips. "Now Jacob," He started, taking a step towards the shorter man, "I have a question of my own." Lehrer said in a low voice, as he forced Jacob to take a step backwards.

"I-is that so?" Jake wondered, trying to keep calm as the other man took another step forwards; forcing him back up another step.

"You see, you have something that I want." He hissed, leaning towards Jake, "And don't make the mistake of thinking you have a choice in the matter." Lehrer added coldly.

"Herr, I can assure you that I -we have nothing of value with us!" Jacob exclaimed as the other man put a cool finger to his lips.

"Lying isn't very becoming of you Jacob," The other man responded with a small grin, "The fact that I've seen the object in question just serves to further my guess. Are you two criminals? Robbers?" He accused, his eyes narrowing as Jake stayed silent. "Well?" He snapped, grabbing Jacob's collar, "How. The. Hell. Did. You. Get. _That_. _Book_?" He hissed.

"Book?" Jake repeated quietly, as understanding dawned on him. _That_ book. _That_ book given to him by a thief; _that_ book accepted in good faith. _That_ book he'd been reading as the other man had accepted their lodging plea. Yes, _that_ book. "Why does it matter? It's not yours; we've never set foot in this house before." He said determinedly, realizing with a sinking feeling that although _they_ hadn't set foot in his house; _Weiss_ probably had.

"No. Not this house." Lehrer answered angrily, bringing his hand back to strike Jacob, "And I suppose the man whom you stole it from was kind to you and your brother?" He continued, backhanding Jacob and letting go of his collar; causing him to fall backwards onto the stairway. "Did he offer you tea and lodging, perhaps?" The other man continued, glaring down at Jacob who sat in stunned silence, putting a finger delicately to his lip and frowning as it came away bloody.

"Herr," Jake began again quietly, "We _aren't_ thieves; I received that book from someone in good faith." He answered, pushing his glasses back up and looking the other man in the eyes, "I _write_ books, I don't steal them." Jacob finished, unsure of whether or not the other man believed him.

Taking in Jacob's glasses and ink-stained fingertips, Lehrer felt doubt begin to seep into his thoughts. The other man _certainly_ didn't have the demeanor of a criminal and his personality seemed too _good_ to be faked. Yet if the book had been a gift, that in itself seemed to signify a deep betrayal on its owner's part. Taking a breath, he leaned down towards Jacob. "Truly?" He questioned, feeling the anger and mistrust drain away to leave an unsettling feeling of emptiness and guilt. "Scheiße." He exclaimed, answering his own question as he looked down at Jacob.

-

Jake was stunned as he sat on the stairway, Lehrer was just standing there with a look of pure guilt on his face. "Scheiße." The other man repeated softly, pulling away from Jacob and all but running past him up the stairway. Jake wasn't sure but he almost swore he'd heard a whispered "Sorry," as the other man had passed him.

More intrigued by the other man than he was frightened or angry, Jacob decided to try and talk to Herr Lehrer, for no reason other than his curiosity. Feeling somewhat dazed, Jake pulled himself up off the stairs and, as an afterthought, unlocked all of the locks on the door, for when his brother was finished taking care of the horses. Sucking absentmindedly on his bottom lip, Jacob followed the staircase up towards Lehrer's study.

Taking a breath to compose himself, Jake knocked lightly on the door, knowing he had the right one as he heard a soft sigh from behind it. Since the other man had obviously heard him and hadn't told him to leave, Jacob slowly swung the wooden door open and stepped into the study, bringing the door closed behind him.

"Herr…" Jacob began, and not for the first time wished he shared Will's natural eloquence, "I -are you alright?" He wondered, taking in the other man's pallid face and defeated posture.

"Fine." He sneered back, pulling himself upright in his chair and glaring at Jake. "No, wait," He exclaimed, "Sorry." Lehrer re-started, slouching back down into his chair and discarding the glare. "I'm just not in the best of sorts at the moment; as you can no doubt tell." He explained, almost managing a smirk.

"Why?" Jacob wondered, knowing that 'why' was indeed a very vague question to ask.

"Why?" Lehrer repeated incredulously, "Do you mean _besides_ the fact that I've just finished attacking an innocent man, whom I _invited_ into my house, as a _guest_?" He wondered sarcastically, "Oh, dear." He stated flatly as he studied Jacob's expression, "You _do_ mean besides that." He realized, "It's nothing particularly interesting, I fear you'd find the story far too tiresome." The other man added, horrified by the idea that Jacob seemed to be _genuinely_ interested in what he had to say.

"I'm sure I've heard drier." Jacob assured him with a small smile. Lehrer's warnings did nothing but add to his interest.

"I've simply no idea how to start a story such as this." He argued persistently, feeling his worry increase as Jacob leaned against the wall and began to clean his glasses on his shirt herm.

"Stories are dreadfully easy to start," Jake said absentmindedly as he held his cleaned glasses to the light. "As an example: what are you, Herr?" He continued, putting his glasses back on.

At the puzzled look he received from Lehrer, he continued, "For example, I'm a scholar and an… _actor_." He said, carefully keeping the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Oh." The other man began, "I'm… nothing." He answered hollowly. "In fact, the only important thing I've ever been was a teacher." He explained, "And even that I managed to ruin." Lehrer added with a dry laugh. "It began and ended with an extraordinary student." He started, "I'm not exactly sure how or why it came to pass, but I was beseeched by the student's father to teach his child everything I knew about my trade. I was completely and utterly unsure about the whole idea, seeing as my student-to-be was only five years my junior. In fact, the first time we met, we both stood and stared at each other in silence." Lehrer explained with a fleeting smile, "I spent two years, day in and out, teaching my protégé the art of my occupation … The art of _thievery_, actually." He said with a sigh, "There must be some irony in a disgraced aristocrat such as myself becoming a thief," Lehrer added distractedly.

'Well _that_ explains the locks,' Jacob thought to himself, 'Trust a thief to be paranoid about getting robbed.'

"But, to quickly sum up this _nice_ little story, my protégé left." He explained bitterly.

"Why?" Jacob prompted him, momentarily forgetting that this wasn't _just_ a story.

"You like that word, don't you?" Lehrer said with an almost-smirk. "Well you see, for my student's birthday, as a present, I gave both that book and a birthday kiss. _He_ didn't much appreciate the latter; I'd assume." Lehrer added, his voice dripping with false humor. Pausing, he looked expectantly at Jake, "Well? No crucifixes?" He wondered flatly.

As Jacob went over the story in his head, he stopped, as everything clicked into place. "You!" He exclaimed, "You were Weiss's teacher!" Jake elaborated with a grin, "I knew you reminded me of _someone_, and thinking back on it, you two are nearly identical! Your mannerisms, your gestures… he's even got an aristocratic accent!" He continued energetically, "You _are_ Katze, right?" Jacob wondered, as he watched the other man's face pale.

"I… _yes_." He answered, feeling half-stunned, "But then, you do know Weiss?" He wondered, "And so… he _really_ did give you that book." Katze continued half-heartedly, sprawling across his desk with a sigh. "He couldn't even be bothered to keep it."

"No, I don't think that was really the case," Jacob answered carefully, "In fact, Weiss said himself that seeing the book made him miss you, and he seemed to think that it would be of use to me. And," Jake said suddenly, "I think that you should pay him a visit sometime."

"Really?" Lehrer asked in amazement, "Jacob, that's an excellent idea!" He exclaimed, pulling himself up off the desk. "Wait a moment, Jacob. Jacob Grimm… _Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm_. So _that's_ why Weiss gave you the book!" He exclaimed. "Oh, dear." Katze added, pulling himself up from his chair and crossing the room, "I locked your brother outside!" He explained, opening the study door and coming face to face with the aforementioned brother.

"Lehrer," Will growled, "Where's Jacob?" He questioned angrily.

"He's right here," Katze answered, stepping to one side of the doorway, "We were just having a nice little… _discussion_." He explained with a smirk, as Jacob came to stand beside him.

"Is that so?" Will questioned, glaring at the other man, "Then why is Jacob's lip split?"

Pausing, Lehrer looked from Will to his brother, "Well. You see, I…"

"_I_ tripped going up the stairs." Jacob interrupted, "_And_ I'm feeling exhausted. It's later than I thought; we'll be going to bed now, Katze." Jake said forcefully, grabbing his brother's hand and pulling him down the hallway. "Goodnight."Jacob added over his shoulder, surprising Will with his forcefulness as he led his brother down the stairs.

-

"Sorry Will," Jacob said quietly as soon as they were back in their room with the door closed, anticipating his brother's reaction.

"What happened?" Wilhelm asked flatly, pulling his hand out of Jake's grasp and turning his brother by the shoulder to face him.

"Nothing." Jacob answered calmly, giving his brother a small smile.

"You're horrible at lying; you do realize that, don't you?" Will retorted, looking at his brother's swollen lip. "So, what happened Jake?" He repeated, tilting his brother's face gently into the light. "It almost looks like someone hit you." Wilhelm said; almost accusingly. "Did Lehrer…?"

"No," Jake retorted quickly, "Katze didn't hit me. Drop it Will." Jacob answered, pulling away from his brother, "I'm tired." He added, "And we'll need to leave early tomorrow morning, so we'd better get to bed."

"He didn't _hit_ you." Will echoed, not for the first time misinterpreting his brother's words, "So then what exactly did Katze _do_? And since when were you on a first name basis with him?" He continued, walking away from Jake and beginning to angrily drop the luggage off of the bed and onto a chair.

"We _talked_ Will." Jacob answered, feeling annoyed at his brother's immature attitude, "Scratch that Wilhelm. He _fucked _me." Jake snapped, causing his brother to drop the bag he was holding with a crash. Wilhelm paled noticeably, looking from the dropped bag to his brother's face. One thing was certain; as objectionable as Jacob found the word, it _certainly_ held shock value.

"You _what_?" He whispered almost inaudibly, stepping around the forgotten baggage and towards Jacob, who was at the moment, debating whether to stand his ground or run. "You two really… did _that_?" Wilhelm wondered in a defeated voice, finishing his sentence with a vague gesture.

At his brother's unexpected reaction, Jake opened his mouth to object but found his words swiftly stopped by Wilhelm. "Mmmpf!" Jacob protested, his voice muffled by his brother's hand.

"I don't want to hear _it_." Wilhelm said softly, gently removing his hand as Jacob closed his mouth.

Of all the reactions Jacob could have possibly predicted, this was certainly _not_ one of them, and he began to feel sick with guilt. "Will!" He interjected before his brother could argue. "I-I was kidding." Jake explained quietly, unable to look Wilhelm in the eyes as he spoke. "It's just… you wouldn't listen."

"Ah." Will exclaimed evenly, "Well. I suppose it's nice to know that my little brother isn't a _whore_." He answered with a glare, turning his back to Jake. "Next time pick a more _tasteful_ way to catch my attention." Will added icily, kicking the bag out of his way and heading towards their bed.

"…Will?" Jacob wondered quietly, "I really didn't…" He began, trying to find the words to apologize, as his brother extinguished the light, plunging Jake into complete darkness.

Deciding that voicing his apology was futile, Jacob carefully made his way to the bed and soundlessly slid under the covers; feeling awful because he wanted nothing more than to hug his brother.

---

_A/N: Eheh. I'm sorry. I should've warned you all in advance that this chapter would **suck**. I was really preoccupied with something as I tried to write most of it. But thankfully the preoccupation is now cleared up, so the next chapter should (hopefully!) be an improvement._

_Second issue, this chapter's plot. I wanted it to be unexpected but believable, I hope I achieved both, but I'm still not sure about it…? Any thoughts on it would be appreciated._

_And speaking of that, (well actually, on a completely different topic,) this story's passed 100 reviews. How I managed that I really don't know, I guess it's just my amazing readers and reviewers, (whom I love almost as much as I love… hmm, as much as the Brothers Grimm movie.)_

_And oh man. Speaking of which, I now own the DVD! I just have yet to re-watch it._

_… Okay. I stop talking **now**._


	16. Chapter 16

**Sang - Chapter 16**

---

He _tried_ not to laugh. He really did. But with the overwhelmingly _cute_ scene that affronted his eyes as he swung the door open, Katze couldn't resist it. He snickered, then snorted, as he silently pulled the guestroom door closed and fled back down the hallway; not wanting to wake the guests with his laughter.

Throwing himself into one of the kitchen chairs, Katze buried his face in his arms and laughed out loud, thinking of what he'd accidentally witnessed as he'd gone to ask the two brothers what they wanted for breakfast. They'd both been asleep, blissfully ignorant to the fact that they looked like a pair of sleeping _kittens_. Jacob had been curled up, resting against his brother's chest with a smile on his face, his waist encircled by Wilhelm's arm. 'They suit each other.' The teacher decided with a grin, 'I wonder if Weiss and I looked like that...?' He continued thoughtfully, speculating if that was indeed the reason for the unexplained looks they used to receive when they walked into town together.

"Forget that." He said to himself lightly, "I might as well make those two a nice breakfast." Katze decided, picking himself up from the kitchen table and heading towards the counter. "I wonder if they'll want sausage with their eggs?" He questioned aloud to the empty room with a snicker.

-

He felt warm. Correction: he felt warm _and_ cozy. But more importantly, he felt_ safe. _Snuggled down in the plush bed sheets, Jacob didn't give a thought as to why he felt so comfortable; instead, he decided to enjoy every last second of it.

Well, that _had_ been the intended plan… until a soft cough by his head interrupted it.

-

All things considered, it _would_ have been a good dream, a _very_ good dream actually; had he not already been _awake_.

As his sleepiness slowly lifted, Wilhelm found himself lying in a most… peculiar position, or rather, with most peculiar company. Nearly choking on a lungful of air, Will let out a stifled cough and froze, hoping that the movement hadn't been enough to wake his brother, who was at the moment, lying contentedly in his arms.

-

Jake tensed, not daring to so much as breathe as he waited for Will's imminent outburst. Tentatively opening his eyes, Jacob noticed that the room was as silent and still as it had been moments ago. 'Thank goodness,' He thought to himself, 'My dear brother would simply die to wake up in such a… _peculiar_ situation.' Jake predicted, unknowingly echoing his brother's thoughts. 'I've got to move _before_ he wakes up.' He decided, 'But how can I move without waking him up?' Jacob debated silently.

-

He froze, feeling his brother tense beside him. Wondering whether or not Jacob was awake; Will began to feel his insides knot, what would his brother say to waking up like _this_? Or knowing his brother's obliviousness, would he even notice? 'Which one would be worse?' He wondered bitterly.

-

'Now what?' Katze wondered to himself, as he stood outside the guestroom, his hand poised to knock against the door. 'Would it be politer to knock and startle them? Or to nonchalantly walk in and tell them breakfast is ready?' Their host wondered to himself, lowering his hand from the door. 'Or would yelling through the door be easiest?' He continued, 'No… that would be much too rude _but_ I also wouldn't want to walk in on them, just in case.' He decided, pausing to listen for any sounds of stirring. As silence met his ears, Katze decided that knocking seemed most appropriate. As he knocked on the door, he heard a muffled thump and a low groan follow.

"Are you two all right?" Katze wondered, opening the door a crack and peeking into the room. Seeing Wilhelm looking over the side of the bed with a confused expression on his face, Katze pushed the door open and stepped quietly into the room; wondering what exactly the older brother was looking down at.

"Jake, are you hurt?" Will wondered from his vantage point on the bed.

"I'm fine Will," Jacob answered, forcing a smile as he pulled himself into a seated position, "I went to get up… but I guess I misjudged the bed size." He explained with a faint blush.

"Klutz." Wilhelm replied good-humoredly with a grin, as he pulled himself off the bed and offered his brother a hand up.

Feeling uncomfortably like an unwanted spectator, Katze cleared his throat and began to play with a piece of hair. "Breakfast is ready whenever you two are." He announced hurriedly; exiting the room before either of the brothers could respond.

As Will helped his brother up, he tried to ignore the fact that he'd held Jake's hand an instant longer than necessary. Wilhelm quickly dropped Jacob's hand and instead put his own hand on his brother's shoulder in a way that he _hoped_ was brotherly. "Are you alright?" Will wondered, carefully keeping his voice level.

"I'm _fine_ Will," Jacob assured with a genuine smile, "You don't need to worry about me."

"But I can't help it." Wilhelm retorted, "You're…_You_." He explained hopelessly, dropping his hand down to his side. At Jacob's confused expression, Will gave his brother a small grin and told him to go get ready for breakfast.

-

Jacob's table manners had always been impeccable; especially for someone of his social class, yet it always _irked_ Wilhelm to watch him eat. 'Well perhaps irked isn't the right word,' Will amended to himself, as he continued to watch his brother eat. It seemed, to Wilhelm at least, that he was the only one who noticed Jake's _peculiar_ way of eating. It was also painfully obvious to Will that his brother was completely oblivious to his stare; which only increased in it's intensity as Jake carefully began to slice one of the sausages into widthwise quarters. 'There's no way I can watch him eat _that_.' Wilhelm proclaimed in terror. It was bad enough with normal shaped food but… _no_. Realizing that there was no reasonable way to keep his brother from eating, he sighed in defeat and resigned himself to gripping his fork tightly.

As the tip of Jacob's tongue came out ever-so-slightly to meet the smooth, oblong object and guide it into his mouth, Wilhelm felt himself flush as his brother's lips closed partway up the piece of sausage. At this point, he was torn between disgust at himself and awe at his brother. He had, honest to god, _never_ seen anyone perform such a simple action in such a… _sensual_ way.

Turning to Katze, who was sitting beside him and opposite Jacob, Wilhelm was glad to discover that he wasn't the only person to notice his brother's bad eating habit.

Their host's fork was frozen in mid-air, the food completely forgotten as Katze openly stared at Jacob; his jaw dropped. Torn between protectiveness and amusement, Wilhelm cleared his throat and turned to their host. "Lehrer?" He questioned, noting with a smirk how reluctantly the other man turned towards him.

"Y-yes?" Katze replied, placing the still-filled fork back onto his plate, and taking a long sip of his tea.

"Excellent breakfast, thank you." Wilhelm said with his smirk still in place.

"I'm glad you're _enjoying_ it." The other man replied, mirroring Will's smirk with one of his own.

Forcing a smile at the implied innuendo, Wilhelm took a last sip of his drink and pushed himself up from the table. "Jacob, I'll go get our stuff together; I'll let you finish." Will said, noting the way Katze choked on his tea with his words.

"Sure Will… Katze are you okay?" His brother exclaimed to their choking host, as Wilhelm turned to leave.

"F…fine, Jacob." Will heard Katze stammer, as he left the kitchen.

---

_A/N: So, this chapter was me on crack. Well, technically on Easter chocolate **but** you get the idea, right? Happy (late) Easter to all that celebrate, and to all you readers/reviewers, I offer you a chocolate sausage… orrr not. How about a chocolate egg?_

_Anyways, it was kind of a short/filler chapter… it just kinda happened that way… I was bored on Easter weekend, what can I say? I **hope** it at least provided some momentary amusement for everyone. Heh. It amused me just writing it._


	17. Chapter 17

**Sang – Chapter 17 **

---

'Up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up, down, down, up, down, …down?' Jacob thought to himself absentmindedly, his lips curving into a slight frown as he noticed the fault in Fee's trot. Pulling gently on the reins to slow her down, Jake quickly brought Fee to a halt and dismounted. "Will?" He questioned, causing his brother to pull Kastanie to a stop and turn her back towards her sister.

"Is something wrong with Fee?" Wilhelm questioned, looking from his brother over to the mare, as he dismounted from Kastanie and led her over to Jacob.

Giving the white mare a quick pat on the nose, Jacob surveyed her legs and noticed that one was being gingerly held up off of the ground. "Well, she's favoring one of her front legs, hold the reins for a moment, please." Jake instructed, tossing the aforementioned reins to his brother and gently picking up Fee's injured hoof, bending her leg up ever so slightly.

"Jake, be careful!" Wilhelm warned, torn between anxiety and exasperation, "You know, it _will_ hurt if she kicks you." He added dryly.

Pointedly ignoring his brother, Jake began to examine the horse's hoof, pausing as he noticed an abnormality in the hoof's enamel. "Will, she's got a rock or something stuck between her hoof and horseshoe, do you have a knife on you?" Jacob wondered, as he pulled himself upright and began to stroke Fee's soft neck.

"I don't think so," Will replied, trying not to grin at the sight of his brother comforting the mare.

"Darn," Jake said with a sigh, as he headed towards his saddlebag. He pulled out a parcel bundled in deep blue cloth and carefully began to unwrap it. "Will, don't let Fee watch, okay? I don't want her to get scared." Jacob said, as he unsheathed a thin silver dagger from its wrappings.

"Impressive," Will stated, "Isn't that what Katze passed to you as we left?" He wondered, appraising the silver and sapphire studded dagger as he simultaneously blocked Fee's view of his brother. "Steady girls." He whispered to both horses, as Fee began to fidget nervously.

"Will, maybe you should do this," Jacob suggested, "What if I hurt Fee by accident?" He wondered anxiously, pulling away from the mare.

"Jake!" His brother responded, sighing, "You've done this before, _don't worry_." Wilhelm reassured his brother with a small smile.

"I guess you're right." Jacob said as he carefully positioned himself by Fee's injured leg. He tried not to flinch as he felt the knife _thunk_ into the hoof alongside the rock. Flicking his wrist gently, Jacob felt Fee shudder as he propelled the rock out of her hoof. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jacob stood up and quickly rewrapped the dagger.

As his brother stowed the cloth bundle away, Wilhelm mounted Kastanie; changing his grip on the reins to offer Jake a hand up.

"Oh," Jacob paused as he turned around, coming face to the offered hand. "But…"

"What? You certainly shouldn't expect Fee to carry you." Will snapped irritably; feeling hurt as he snatched back his hand.

"I wasn't." Jake retorted sharply. "You know, I _do_ need one of the stirrups to get up. Move your foot!"

"What was that?" Wilhelm questioned frostily, the traces of a smirk across his lips. "I do believe you forgot the _magic_ word."

"Move your _damn_ foot!" Jacob practically yelled; feeling both tired and frustrated.

"Mm, not _exactly_ the word I was looking for." Wilhelm murmured, yanking his foot out of the stirrup nearest Jacob. "Your _highness_." He growled, reoffering his hand stiffly.

Tempted to yet again reject this brother's hand, Jacob let out a short sigh; pulling himself up and into the saddle. "Thanks, Will." Jake mumbled to his brother's back, as he snaked his hands around Will's waist and got himself into an _almost_ comfortable position. As Wilhelm coaxed Kastanie and Fee into a trot, Jake pulled himself closer; absently wondering if his brother always sat so stiffly when he rode.

-

It had been novel at first; Jacob had found it relaxing and Wilhelm had found it irritating, at worst. But as the enthusiastic choir of chirps and trills began to increase in both participants and volume, Jake and Will equally began wishing that they'd invested in a very good and expensive hunting rifle.

The birdsongs had started when they'd first entered the forest, creating a cheerful and rustic background noise. But as they had progressed further into the forest, the unseen vocalists had become increasingly persistent, and increasingly _annoying_.

"Jake?" Wilhelm wondered in a hushed voice, feeling stupid as he realized that he thought the _birds_ could be listening to him. "Jacob." He repeated a little louder, "What the hell's wrong with these birds?" He hissed.

"What?" Jacob wondered, as he adjusted himself in the saddle and put his mouth near his brother's ear, "Loud, aren't they?" He murmured, "I'm not sure why they're so populated here, maybe…" He paused, taking a moment to look around them, "There might have been something that drove them out of the other part of the forest…maybe a forest fire?" Jake speculated, "Or a predator?"

"Excellent." Will retorted sarcastically, as he desperately tried to ignore his proximity to Jacob, and the fact that every time his brother talked, a warm breath of air would dance teasingly across his ear and jaw.

"Well, at least you've got your handgun, right Will?" Jacob wondered anxiously, squirming once again in the saddle, "This is getting pretty uncomfortable." He complained with a sigh.

Well, it may have been uncomfortable for Jake but for Wilhelm, the riding arrangement was becoming unbearable. Once or twice, as Jacob had either fallen asleep or changed his position, Will had felt a set of fingers brush lightly along the inside of his thigh; the accidental motion nearly drawing an unexpected (and entirely _unwelcome_) gasp from his lips. It. Just. Wasn't. _Fair_. Was it? 'Well, if nothing else, it's an _extremely_ effective method of revenge for Jake.' Wilhelm thought to himself, almost managing a grin. 'And at least I'm not paying as much attention to the birds…'

-

"I guess there is good enough," Jacob decided aloud, indicating to the small clearing off to the right of the path. "Look we can even tether Fee and Kastanie _there_… and we use that tree branch to put up the tent _there_." Jake elaborated, enthusiastically pointing at each observation.

"I thought you were tired?" Wilhelm wondered in awe, "_Where_ do you get so much _energy_?" He wondered, suddenly feeling exhausted in comparison.

"Well, I _was_ kind of napping this afternoon," Jacob explained, almost apologetically. "If you want, you can relax and I'll set up the tent and tend to our two princesses."

"But," Will began to argue, "That's not exactly fair."

"That's okay." Jake stated, jumping stiffly off of Kastanie as his brother reined her to a stop. "If you insist on doing something, get out some supper. The food's in Fee's saddlebag." He directed, grabbing the other saddlebag which contained their tent, and heading off into the clearing to set it up.

Will winced as his brother tripped over something or other, and landed flat on the grass; the saddlebag impacting with a softer thump beside him. "What _am_ I supposed to do with him?" Will murmured with a smile.

-

"My arm hurts." Jacob complained, as he stared up at the stained and wrinkled tan fabric of their tent.

"Because _you_ tripped and fell." Wilhelm replied with a grin, feeling much better after a meal.

"My chin hurts." Jake continued childishly, purposely annoying his brother.

"Well, _that's_ because you're incredibly clumsy." Will responded, miming his brother's tone of voice.

"I'm cold." He added, sounding _slightly_ more serious.

"And that's because I'm hoarding the blankets." His older brother said, rolling onto his side to look at Jacob.

Giving Wilhelm a sidelong glance, Jacob turned onto his side and without warning pounced onto his brother. In one swift movement, Jacob had landed in a tangle of blanket and was pressed up against the opposite side of the relatively small tent. Snickering, Will eyed the pile of blankets, and with a diabolical expression poked his brother in the ribs. This produced a startled squeak, which quickly turned into an uncharacteristic snort, as Will began to tickle him.

"W-Will!" Jack gasped between laughs, as his brother unmercifully pinned him to the wall of the tent and continued to tickle him. "Not fair!" He exclaimed, pushing his glasses back onto his nose and trying to fend off the tickles. Maneuvering a hand out from under the blankets, Jacob tentatively reached out and tickled Will under his arm. Judging his success by the fact that his brother pulled out of his grasp and rolled across the tent to safety, Jacob sprung; blankets and all, launching a full out tickle war against his brother.

As they both lay there panting, tangled between the sheets and feeling completely spent, Jacob gathered the rest of his energy to pull himself up and weakly whisper "Truce." before he collapsed beside Wilhelm's warm body.

"I'm hot." Will complained, mimicking Jacob's earlier childishness.

"Well that's what you get for hogging all the blankets." Jake responded with a grin, as he glanced over at his disheveled brother.

"You were the cold one!" Will retorted as he began to kick the blankets over to Jacob's side of the tent.

"I don't want them!" He protested weakly, kicking the abused bedding back towards Wilhelm.

They both lay still in silence, glancing back and forth between themselves.

"Will-" Jake began.

"What?" He responded lethargically.

"I'm cold." Jacob complained, trying to keep a straight face.

"Seriously?" Will wondered, as a grin crept onto his face.

"What do you think?" Jacob wondered in the near-darkness; his grin mirroring Will's.

"You're full of it!" He answered with a laugh.

-

"Will?" Jacob wondered quietly across the pitch black tent. "Are you awake?"

"Mmm," He heard Will murmur in reply, "What Jake?"

"I'm cold." He said with a quiet giggle.

About to make a retort about waking him up, Will paused as he realized that it was indeed much cooler than it had been when they'd gone to sleep.

Jake waited for his brother's response but heard nothing except the faint sound of fabric being moved around. Wondering if maybe his brother had gone back to sleep, Jacob was about to wake him up when he heard a swoosh of fabric and felt the blanket settle lightly on top of him.

"Better?" He heard Will whisper from across the tent.

"Perfect, thanks." He replied, stifling a yawn.

"Good, now move a bit over this way, would you? The blanket's not _that_ big." Wilhelm replied sleepily.

Jacob obediently shuffled over towards his brother, noting not for the first time, that Wilhelm was indeed warm.

-

It was dark which, given the time of night, wasn't unusual but it was also unnervingly quiet. Something was missing, but the thought escaped Jacob as he turned his attention to the sounds outside the tent. The horses were stamping the ground nervously and through the noise it sounded almost as if someone was trying to coax them. This thought shook off the rest of Jacob's sleepiness, and he silently found his glasses, slipped into his jacket and headed out of the tent; feeling slightly comforted by the dagger's weight in his jacket pocket.

It was surprisingly brighter outside the tent, once his eyes had adjusted to the moonlight. The trees and the pathway were brushed with rays of light, while other sections of the clearing melted away into patches of darkness. Feeling uneasy, Jake began to wonder why he hadn't woken up his brother; which would've probably been a _much_ better plan. Turning towards the horses Jacob froze, letting out a small gasp. Clasping a hand over his traitorous mouth, Jake's eyes widened as the figure that had startled him froze, and turned towards him with an almost predatory grace. The silhouette's long hair floated gently on a breeze that certainly didn't exist, as its owner froze.

"What?" Jacob whispered to himself, shuddering as he felt, rather than saw, the silhouette's unwavering stare on him.

"Hello there." A voice whispered by his ear, sounding as quiet as a passing breeze.

"What beautiful weather." Another, higher, voice whispered softly from somewhere behind him.

"Lovely night for a stroll, isn't it?" A new, much deeper voice questioned quietly.

"Isn't it just?" The higher voice questioned, growing softer as it faded away.

"Isn't it past your bedtime?" The first voice mocked Jake airily.

"I… what are…?" Jacob wondered, feeling disoriented.

"_What_?" The deep, velvety voice repeated softly, "The polite question would be: _who_."

"Sorry." Jake mumbled, his vision blurring so drastically that he wondered whether he'd lost his glasses. 'Shit!' He thought to himself, as his mind began to fill with fog. '_Magic_.'

"Apology accepted." The shadowy figure said slowly, cocking its head to one side. "You know, you look very tired, some sleep would do you a world of good."

"Sleep." The voices whispered in suggestion, as Jacob fumbled in his pocket for the dagger, feeling the cold metal on his fingertips.

"Now now, there's no need for _that_." The voice said silkily, as Jacob's world began to fade to black.

-

The last thing that Jacob was aware of was the feeling of the dagger's weight leaving his fingers, and the muffled '_thunk'_ of the impact.

---

_A/N: This chapter was funny to write, because I knew exactly how the ending and beginning were supposed to be but the middle was random. (And dare I say that I liked this chapter?)_

_Two things that I should've mentioned a few chapters ago (but I forgot,) were that, first off, Katze's character is really loosely based on the Grimm's story "The Thief and His Master," in fact, I'd say only based on the first half of that story. Second, much thanks to anyone who went and read my POTC fic._

_So I'm curious as to what you guys think about this chapter's ending. Does it make me horribly evil or what? Hehe._

_Anyways, hope you enjoyed it, and many thanks & cupcakes to the readers/reviewers._

_(And by the way, I know pretty much nothing about horses, so please excuse any horribly wrong information.)_


	18. Chapter 18

**Sang – Chapter 18**

---

"Good morning… _Jacob_." The younger Grimm absentmindedly heard Will's voice murmur from somewhere close beside him.

At the moment, Jake was still somewhere between the borders of consciousness and sleep; his body showing no resistance to the latter, as it tried desperately to convince his mind to follow suit. It almost succeeded, as Jacob considered how comfortable he felt reclining on the plush mattress and its soft bedding. "Tired?" Wilhelm questioned, an unseen smile evident in his tone. With a soft groan, Jacob answered with a languid stretch, keeping his eyes shut with the slowly fading hope of falling back into a deep sleep. "Come now," His brother's voice taunted him playfully, "There _are_ other things one can do besides sleep, you know."

Although Will's words were lost to Jake as he began to drift back into dreams, the cool hand that lightly cupped his chin had slightly more success at catching Jacob's attention. "Will?" He stated curiously, still feeling strangely exhausted and altogether unwilling to open his eyes.

"Not _exactly_." Wilhelm's voice replied. Jacob stirred slightly at his brother's reply but any response he might have made was cut off by a pair of soft, cool lips which firmly met his own.

Jake moaned, as his body responded to the kiss. As his brain caught up, Jacob twisted away from Will, his questions dying on his lips, as his eyes snapped open and he realized that it _wasn't_ his brother who stared back at him.

"Good morning." His brother's voice repeated pleasantly from the stranger's smiling lips, as Jacob lay stunned. The other man had a curiously pale and flawless complexion; his lips were a pale pink; his cheekbones were high and his hair was long and straight, falling in a nicely contrasting cascade of silver over his black jacket –he was _unquestionably_ handsome. But all of these features went unnoticed as Jacob caught sight of the other man's eyes, which were a strange color that could at best be described as a bottomless, dark, grey.

"Oh f-" Jacob began, uncharacteristically cursing, as he scrambled to pull himself into a seated position.

"Tch. Watch your language." The other man interjected; halting Jacob's exclamation with a well placed finger.

Panicking, Jake bit the offending finger as hard as he could; causing the other man to swiftly pull back his hand and clutch it to his chest. "Mind your manners while you're at it." He hissed, his voice becoming less and less like Wilhelm's as he spoke. "Just think about how uncomfortable a muzzle would be." He continued as his voice dropped to a deep, velvety pitch. "Although… if you _like_ that sort of thing…" The other man trailed off, his tone and slight smirk _extremely_ suggestive.

"Certainly not!" Jacob retorted, feeling his face flush at the implicit comment.

"I wonder what _other_ sorts of things you like… _Jacob_." He speculated, once again mimicking Wilhelm's voice as he leaned forwards. "I'd be _quite_ interested to find out."

Raising his hand to strike the other man, Jake was shocked to find himself on his back, pinned down an instant later. "Right, _magic_." Jacob reminded himself dryly. "That's _definitely_ not fair." He added.

"Fair, unfair… the world is never fair, nor is it ever unfair to those who are fair." He said with a small smirk. "Speaking of which, I've just had an _excellent_ idea." The other man said slyly, which worried Jacob immensely. Generally when the bad-magic-using-guy had an 'excellent idea' it meant that Jake's day went downhill.

"Now," The Piper continued as he pulled a thin blade out of a waist scabbard and let it rest on the hollow of Jacob's neck. "Just don't fidget or anything." He said with a low snicker.

-

He was woken abruptly by the glare of the sun in his eyes but only stirred when he realized that he shouldn't have been able to see the sun from _inside_ the tent. Pulling himself up, Wilhelm cursed at the open tent flap, and quickly began adding to the first curse as he noticed that Jacob wasn't beside him. Pulling on his boots and jacket, Will ran out of the tent and into the clearing.

"Jacob?" He yelled, as his eyes frantically searched the area. His gaze stopped on the horses –or rather, the one remaining horse; Fee was gone. "Oh fu…" He began, trailing off as he looked down and noticed something flash a few feet in front of him. As he knelt down, Will realized that it was Jacob's knife which reflected the sunlight, as it stood with the tip imbedded in the soil and grass. Willing himself not to panic, he took a deep breath and tried to keep calm. '_Why_? Why would Jacob go off by himself… without telling me? Why would he leave his knife here, leave _me_ here… and without a note or _something_?' Wilhelm frantically wondered to himself. 'Well… _he _wouldn't.' The rational part of his mind responded. 'Then… what happened?' Putting a hand to his forehead, Wilhelm paused and thought back to the night before. His sleep had been undisturbed, no screams, no clash of weapons; nothing. But was that a good or bad thing? Did it mean that Jacob was perfectly whole and healthy… or did it mean that his brother had somehow been silenced?

Discarding _that_ anxiety-inducing idea, Will collected himself and knelt down in front of the knife, trying to gauge how it had become imbedded there. 'It looks too shallow to have been put there on purpose, so did Jake drop it there?' He guessed absentmindedly, as he effortlessly pulled the knife out of the soil. 'No blood either.' Will realized, letting out a small sigh of relief –well… _relative_ relief anyways. "But what does that even mean?" He wondered aloud, receiving no response except for the incessant chatter of birds. "A clean, dropped weapon. Would that mean Jake was somehow disarmed, or that he let go of the knife out of his own free will?" He continued, taking the knife with him as he stood up and walked cautiously towards Kastanie, keeping his eyes trailed on the ground.

"Horse thieves?" He asked the forest in general, "No… that doesn't make sense, they'd have taken Kastanie as well. But if they weren't horse thieves, then why take Fee? If they'd needed a horse to leave, they'd certainly have needed one to come, right?" At this point, he paused, glancing from the weapon in his hand to the dark mare. "Unless they needed Fee to carry Jacob? I mean, he's not heavy… but for one person to carry him unconscious… it wouldn't be easy. Well, if it _was_ only one person." He added thoughtfully. Turning the knife over in his hand, Will sighed, "And why would anyone kidnap _him_?"

-

As Wilhelm mechanically packed up their belongings, he began to grow more and more edgy as he realized how late in the day it was. Will repeatedly told himself that for both Jacob's sake and his own, he couldn't just rush off after his brother. No matter how desperately he wanted to dash to the rescue, it would do neither of them any good if they lost all their supplies and food. Right; _the food_. The food which was currently occupying Fee's saddlebag. "Well that's just more incentive for me to find dear Jacob, now isn't it?" Will growled as he finished packing Kastanie's saddlebag, and gave the clearing one final glare. "Like I even _needed_ any more incentive." He added with a sigh. Pausing as he readied himself to mount Kastanie, the bird's chatter sounded almost like laughter to him. "No wonder so many people like _cats_." He snarled through clenched teeth. Wilhelm was so agitated and annoyed at this point that he failed to notice the fact that the birds seemed to quiet after his comment, as he swiftly pulled himself up onto Kastanie. "It's just you and me now girl." He said by the horse's ear. "You wouldn't happen to know which way they went… would you?" Not expecting an answer, Will almost grinned as Kastanie answered with a snort that sounded surprisingly disdainful. Feeling stupid for even voicing the question, Will guided her out of the clearing. "Don't you realize that if we don't find Jacob, you won't get any more sugar cubes?" Either at his remark or for reasons of her own, Kastanie turned sharply down the path, and trotted farther into the forest.

-

He'd been riding since mid-afternoon, and between Kastanie and himself; their pace had slowed to a sluggish walk. Will guessed the time to be somewhere after nine but it was impossible to be sure under the forest's canopy. Deep shadows in the pattern of leaves masked the path, and darkness obscured the forest foliage on either side of him.

Wilhelm knew that he should've stopped to give Kastanie a rest at least an hour ago, but for his own, rather selfish, reason he'd made the exhausted mare press on.

He, Wilhelm Grimm, did _not _like the dark; in fact, it was a dislike so strong that it bordered on fear. As a child, Will had never been able to understand how Jacob could so carelessly go out for walks at night, unaccompanied as well! Jake had once dared to ask his brother about it, and got nothing more than a split lip for his sympathy. At one point, Jacob had even tried explaining to Will that there was nothing in the dark that could hurt him and, although it was only _somewhat_ true, it had been a kind gesture (in comparison to the teasing _he_ usually received from Wilhelm.) Even more embarrassing for Will was the fact that he never felt quite as afraid when his brother was with him. He'd never found a way to explain it, so he had viciously ignored it… but this night was completely different.

Wilhelm's edginess was making Kastanie jumpy, and forced him to ride with a hand on his gun holster, as he took notice of every sound and shadow. The pathway was now almost completely obscured by the night, and forced Will to rely more and more on his mount's judgment.

As Kastanie stopped suddenly and began fidgeting nervously in place, Wilhelm felt his breath catch as he looked up from his mare and into a pair of reflective hunter's eyes which glared out of the darkness at him. Panicking, he pulled out his handgun, and aimed to take shot between the pair of eyes, as the form of a man emerged from the shadowy pathway.

"Now, now," The man said, his quiet voice holding the slightest trace of menace, "You'd have much better luck with some of these." He advised with a crooked smile as he walked silently out of the shadows, tossing a small pouch in his palm. "Although, I'm counting on my luck being better than yours."

---

_A/N: So. What do you think? I really really really wanna know what everyone thinks is going to happen after this, (just because I'm horribly curious.) I had such trouble writing this chapter, (well when do I _not_ have trouble writing chapters, lol.) I'm hoping that the next chapter will come along much more easily._

_Once again, a huge thanks (and some mint candies) to all the lovely reviewers and readers. It wasn't_ too _short a chapter, was it?_


	19. Chapter 19

**Sang – Chapter 19**

---

Pausing, the other man tossed and re-caught the pouch in his hand; cocking his head to the side. "Well, aren't you going to shoot me?" He questioned from the shadows, fidgeting with the object in his hand.

"Actually I… _what_?" Wilhelm faltered in confusion as he lowered his gun.

"You know… cock the gun, pull the trigger, expel the bullet, perhaps penetrate the skull and dislodge the brain matter…" He wondered, tossing the small pouch to Wilhelm, "In lamest terms; blow my brains out?"

"That's revolting!" Will snapped, holstering his gun and picking up the pouch which had landed on his thigh. "And these are _mine_!" He added, feeling bewildered as he emptied the small bag's contents into his hand.

"Yours?" The other man questioned softly, "Impossible." He stated, walking out of the shadows and towards Wilhelm. Leaning forward with exaggerated care, he looked up at Will and chuckled, "Or perhaps _improbable_ is the correct term, Herr_ Grimm_."

-

"Much better!" The silver-haired man happily exclaimed, as he wiped the blade clean, hopped off the bed and carelessly dropped the knife onto a table. "You can breathe now; I'm finished." He added with a smirk.

Letting out a long sigh of relief, Jacob cautiously pulled himself up off the mattress and towards the edge of the bed, "Now was there a point to that, whatsoever?" He muttered, as he pulled himself upright and hung his feet over the edge of the bed. "I mean really, you could've just _asked_ me to and I would have done it."

"I suppose I _could_ have. But that would have been giving you a knife," he responded cheerfully, "And I don't particularly like taking those kinds of chances… Don't worry I did a good job; you look very sharp." The other man added.

"Oh…" Jacob stated uncertainly, as he put a hand up to his face and felt freshly shaven skin under his fingers. "I guess you did, uh, Herr…" He fumbled, unsure of what exactly to say in such an odd situation.

"Dämon Lied." The Piper interrupted as he began twirling a silver piece of hair around his finger.

"Right, Herr Lied," Jake continued, "So if you don't mind me asking; why exactly am I here? I mean, aren't there damsels you could be distressing or villages that you should be pilfering?"

"Why damsels?" The Piper questioned interestedly as he released his hair and began examining his nails, "Are women supposed to be easier to catch than men?"

"Well, I assumed that it was because stories always end with the princess and her savior getting married and living happily ever after. It wouldn't work as well with a prince." Jacob explained, 'Although, it's certainly an interesting notion.' He added to himself.

"It wouldn't work _as_ well," Dämon mocked as he mimicking Jacob's voice. "That's quite an understatement on your part." He continued in his own voice, "Don't try and tell me that _you_ believe otherwise." The Piper added insistently.

"Well, I don't see why it couldn't work." Jake argued, as he began taking in his surroundings. Looking from the medieval-looking stone floor to the matching walls, he paused, catching sight of the darkness outside the window. "Herr Lied," Jake wondered, "Where on earth are we? And besides that, what time is it?"

Raising a well-kept eyebrow, the Piper's mouth twitched into a crooked smile. "Please don't tell me that you're now _just_ noticing." Dämon joked, but seeing the mild embarrassment on the other man's face, he sighed, "You know, that's generally one of the _first_ questions people ask." The Piper stated dryly.

"Well, I _have_ spent the last half hour lying perfectly still on a bed; barely daring to breathe, staring up at the _ceiling_!" Jacob retorted.

"Well then next time you won't be on your _back_." He snapped, "And as to your previous questions, we're in an abandoned castle situated in the forest bordering Aalen and Hameln; it belonged to some Baron or other, an age and a half ago. _And_," he continued before Jacob could interrupt, "It's around ten o'clock at night."

"Then why did you say good morning to me?" Jake wondered, as he began absentmindedly cleaning his glasses on his shirt hem.

"Because you'd just woken up." The Piper answered in an exasperated voice, "You think too much!" He continued, walking over to Jake, and flopping down beside him on the bed. "Although I suppose that's better than not thinking enough…" He added thoughtfully.

"You're bizarre." Jacob noted, watching the other man recline on the mattress as he looked up at the ceiling.

"I- what? I am not!" He replied indignantly, "I'm no more or less normal than _you_ are." Pausing, Dämon rethought his last sentence, "Never mind."

The room filled with silence as Jacob continued admiring his surroundings, most notably the multitude of mirrors which reflected and multiplied the oil lamps' light around the room, almost feigning daylight.

"How am I bizarre?" The Piper wondered after a moment, breaking the silence.

"Well," Jacob began, "You don't seem much like a typical villain, for one. Also, you seem fairly relaxed considering the fact that I could try escaping at any moment." He explained, as he took off his glasses and began rubbing at a stubborn spot on them.

"Hmm," Herr Lied thought for a moment, as he pulled himself off of the bed. "So I should act more like a villain… and I should have you restrained at all moments?" He wondered, his voice dropping sharply in pitch at his last words. "Easier said than done, Herr Grimm." He murmured.

Jacob heard a rustle of fabric one moment, and a heartbeat later, felt his back make contact with the bed's headboard as his glasses hit the floor. "Ow!" He cried out, looking in surprise from the smirking Piper to his wrists, which were tightly bound to the headboard with twisted bed sheets.

"And _that's_ why I'm not worried about you trying to run away." Dämon explained cheerfully, as Jacob tried to catch the breath which had been knocked out of him. Picking up Jake's glasses, the other man smiled and came to sit beside Jacob on the bed. Grabbing his chin roughly, the Piper angled Jake's face towards him and carefully placed the glasses back on the bridge of his nose. "Any other suggestions?" He wondered with a trace of menace in his voice as he looked into Jacob's eyes. "No? Somehow I didn't think so." He concluded coolly.

-

"_You_?" Wilhelm wondered in annoyance, as he dismounted from Kastanie and moved to stand face to face with the other man.

"Me." Schwarz agreed with a small grin, as he extended a hand to Wilhelm.

Ignoring the offered hand, Will proceeded to once again pull out his gun and straighten his arm; placing the barrel lightly on Prinz's chin. "Well that's not a very friendly way to greet a previous acquaintance." The werewolf stated jokingly, "You're just mad because _I_ buggered your brother before _you_ could." He joked with a smirk.

"Mad?" Wilhelm wondered softly, "You'd better hope I'm _not_ mad." He retorted, mirroring the other man's grin, as he let the weight of his handgun bring the barrel away from Schwarz's chin and let it come to rest lightly on the fabric a few inches underneath the other man's belt. "You'd also better hope that I know you're _joking_." He continued wickedly. "They may not be silver but they'll still _hurt_." Wilhelm concluded, as he emphasized his meaning by cocking the gun.

"I wasn't serious!" Schwarz exclaimed, bringing his hands up in surrender, "Speaking of which, where is your dear brother?" He added as an afterthought.

"I was wondering the same thing," Will replied coolly, "Rather, I was assuming that he was with you."

"What? Now why would you assume such a thing?" Prinz wondered, as he tried to edge away from the gun's poorly placed muzzle.

"First, because he's missing. Second, because you came out of the shadows looking like Lucifer himself, and third because I'm worried!" Wilhelm exclaimed in exasperation, pulling back the gun, emptying the chamber and holstering it in one swift movement. Looking down at the remaining bullet in his hand, he sighed and put it into his pocket alongside the pouch of silver bullets. "Acting like that, what the hell was I supposed to expect; you even _gave_ me _silver_ bullets! Do you have a death wish or someth…" Trailing off, Will froze as he realized what the other man had been trying to do.

"You know," Prinz interrupted with strained cheerfulness, "There's a spot a short way back from here where we can set up camp, if you'd like." Schwarz replied with a feigned grin, "It _is_ getting pretty dark." He explained, "Plus it's not safe for you or your little princess to be out here alone." The werewolf finished, gesturing to Kastanie.

"But wouldn't that be backtracking for you?" Wilhelm wondered, carefully keeping any suspicion from his voice.

"I suppose it is, although I haven't really got anywhere _to_ go at the moment." Schwarz replied emotionlessly, "Also, if you like… I could help you find your brother. I'm most certainly in his debt." The other man explained, "And then I'd get to bugger him first." Prinz teased with a halfhearted smirk.

"Will you stop saying that _word_!" Wilhelm exclaimed, as he grabbed Kastanie's lead and coaxed her forward.

"Now don't get jealous; I'll _bugger_ you first, if you'd like." Schwarz replied with a more natural smile as he moved into step beside Will. "You just need to ask politely."

Exhaling in exasperation, the older Grimm turned towards the Werewolf. "_Please_, stop saying that damned word."

As they walked down the darkened path in silence, Wilhelm paused and turned back to the other man. "Isn't that illegal?" He finally questioned.

"You've really thought about it, haven't you?" Schwarz replied mischievously.

"Shut up." Will snapped, as he felt his face flush.

"Thought _so_." The werewolf commented airily.

---

A/N: It's a longer chapter than the last one! It really is; I even counted! I suppose I could've made it longer, but I felt bad having already taken so long to come up with this chapter, so I decided to end it there.

So, only one person rightly guessed who was in the shadows in the last chapter. Oh well, cookies (of the peanut-butter-chocolate chip kind) to everyone!

And about the Piper shaving Jacob's moustache/facial hair/whatever it's called… In the movie, I wondered what he'd look like sans facial hair, so I decided to remove it. (Yes, my reasoning was as simple as that.)

Also, on the topic of the Piper, what does everyone think of Herr Lied (or rather his personality?)

Lastly. About the word "buggered," I'm pretty positive it's slang for fucked (in terms of sodomy, especially) and plus, I wanted to use a "nicer" word than fucked. And when Will wonders about it "being legal" I'm pretty sure that sodomy was considered illegal (or very, very close to it) in those days.

And please excuse my bad language in the previous paragraph. XD

Expect a new chapter sooner than it took me to write this one! And the next one will be number 20. Wow.


	20. Chapter 20

**Sang – Chapter 20**

---

"Now what?" Wilhelm questioned as he closely followed Schwarz down a small path, and stepped out into what he assumed (by the visible patch of darkened sky,) was a clearing.

"What do you mean by 'now what'?" The werewolf retorted, turning back to face Will. "Now we set up whatever sleeping arrangements we need, then we eat, and then we start the buggery!" He joked.

"How?" Will wondered as he carefully brought the mare further into the grassy area.

"_How_?" The other man echoed as he tried to sidestep the question with a witty reply. When nothing presented itself, Schwarz chuckled and continued; "Well, theoretically I suppose one of us would be on the bottom; that would be you, and the other-"

"That's _not_ what I meant!" Wilhelm practically shouted as he effectively cut off Prinz's reply. "First of all, I meant how are we going to set up anything? It's pitch black; I can barely see a foot in front of me! And second of all, I was trying to _ignore_ your use of _that_ word." He added indignantly.

"Pitch black?" Schwarz wondered in confusion, ignoring the rest of Will's response, "What are you talking about? It's just _starting_ to get dark." He answered with tinge of worry in his voice, "Isn't it?"

Discarding a handful of sarcastic responses, Will looked back and saw the cat-like reflection in Schwarz's eyes through the darkness. "You're new at this, aren't you?" He questioned, resisting the urge to step back from the other man.

"New at what?" Prinz questioned with a small frown.

"Being a lycanthrope." Will explained with growing uneasiness, as the other man let out a small growl.

"What a fancy word for monster, it almost sounds like a medical term." He snapped, "And yes, it's a fairly recent… acquisition." Schwarz added, dropping his gaze to the ground.

"Who said anything about monster?" Wilhelm asked, "Either way, to be completely honest, I'm still trying to convince myself that such things _can't_ possibly exist… it's like admitting that everything Jacob has ever said is _right_ and _makes_ _sense_!" He explained, "Which, of course; it _shouldn't_."

"But if you do believe they exist, how can you deny the fact that werewolves are _monsters_?" Schwarz questioned persistently; his elongated canine teeth hidden by the dark.

"Well, I was once up until six in the morning trying to proofread one of my brother's essays on the subject. Even if it _was_ twenty pages of stupidity, it was _very_ well thought out stupidity." Will answered, "And it did put the subject in a positive light."

"Does that mean you're an expert on this?" Schwarz asked, "I mean, you _are_ one of the Brothers Grimm." He continued, as if the statement itself was an answer. "How come I was bitten four weeks ago, but tonight is the first time that I can see in the dark?" He questioned persistently.

"That's a good question," Will began, pausing to stifle a yawn, "I really wish I knew but to be completely honest with you, Jacob's the one who knows about stuff like _this_." He explained apologetically.

"_Oh_, right then. I guess we should just get everything unpacked; you sound exhausted." Schwarz remarked, "Can you see well enough to help set up, or would you rather I do it?"

"That's very nice to offer, but I assure you, I can see perfectly fine." Wilhelm said as he noticed that he couldn't even see his own feet.

"Alright," Schwarz began, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

"Four?" Wilhelm guessed weakly.

"None." The werewolf answered with a quiet laugh, "Here, follow me and take a break while I get things organized." He directed firmly, as he grabbed Will by his wrist and carefully guided him out towards the middle of the clearing. "Are your blankets and stuff in your saddlebag?" Schwarz wondered, as he let go of Wilhelm's wrist and moved towards Kastanie.

"There's a blanket and a makeshift tent in there." He instructed, feeling vulnerable without the other man's hand to guide him.

"Found it." Schwarz confirmed, "Now stay still for a moment while I go tie up Kastanie. I'll be right back." His voice assured Wilhelm, as he felt the reins being pulled out of his hand by Prinz. "Steady, girl." Will heard the werewolf answer to the sound of Kastanie's nervous steps.

As the noise of the mare's hooves faded into the grass, the darkness quickly became oppressive to Wilhelm, who was feeling more than _slightly_ anxious. Taking a deep breath, Will wrapped his arms around himself and forced his mind to work rationally. After all, wasn't Schwarz only a few meters away? And really, was there anything to be afraid of in this forest; _besides_ the lycanthrope?

There was something, a small detail that Wilhelm was sure he had forgotten about Schwarz's situation; something that was probably very important. 'He was bitten four weeks ago, and he's still changing now. That would mean he- _Oh_.' The older Grimm began, mentally kicking himself as he realized what the problem was. 'He was bit by a werewolf… and werewolves _only_ transform when there's a full moon. So there has to have been a full moon four weeks ago… which means he could change as soon as _tomorrow_.' Wilhelm calculated, 'How the hell do I restrain a werewolf?' He wondered uneasily.

"The tent is up." Schwarz stated from somewhere in front of Will, "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Prinz added as he saw how the other man had jumped at his statement.

"Don't worry about it." Will responded with a yawn. "I think I should head off to sleep." He added unnecessarily.

"Do you want something to eat first?" The lycanthrope asked in concern, "I've got some bread and water if you'd like…?"

"That would be great." Will accepted with one of his winning smiles, as he remembered that all his food had dissapeared with Jake.

"I'll make a small fire, away from the tent and your mare, to shed some light for you." Schwarz offered, as he gently pulled Wilhelm by the wrist towards a small, blackened circle of stones.

-

"_What_?" Jacob wondered apprehensively as he stared back at the man who was occupying the foot of his bed.

"Nothing." The Piper replied as he continued to gaze fixedly at Jake.

"Stop it!" Jacob objected as he felt himself begin to blush, "That's really _very_ awkward!" He exclaimed, fidgeting nervously with the twisted bed sheets that bound his wrists.

The Piper continued to watch him with a small smirk on his face; looking suspiciously like a very smug cat playing with a cornered mouse. After a moment, Dämon cocked his head to the side and paused, "Haven't you learnt anything yet?" He wondered in astonishment. "What happened the last time you made a _suggestion_?"

"But…" Jacob began, "Technically 'what' isn't a suggestion; it's a _question,_ and 'stop it' is a _command._ Also, to be precise, 'that's really very awkward' is both a very poorly structured sentence fragment and an _observation_." He concluded, feeling an overwhelming need to adjust his glasses as they began to slip down his nose.

"_That's_ how you react to threats?" The Piper wondered in amazement. "_Scholars_." He added with a shrug. "It must be the whole mind over matter thing."

"Scholar?" Jacob questioned alertly, 'How on earth could he have known solely from that answer that I am, or rather, I _was_ a scholar? I thought Will had done a good job of keeping our pasts quiet.' Jake wondered, pausing to collect himself and reword his question, "Herr Lied, what makes you think that I was a scholar?"

"I _know_ you were, Jacob," The Piper replied secretively, "Actually, I know a lot about you." He elaborated with a smile. "I bet your next question is 'how?'" Dämon guessed, changing his tone to flawlessly mimic Jake's.

"Nope." Jacob responded, "My next question was going to be 'what do you know?" Which would have _then_ been followed by 'how?'" Jacob explained with an apologetic smile, "You were almost right though."

Letting out a frustrated sigh, the Piper elegantly hopped off the end of the bed and stalked up to Jacob. "That's not what you're supposed to say!" He snarled, "Do you take me for an idiot? I don't care what kind of act you put on; I realize you're worried about what I know. Especially what I know about your _dear_ brother." He hissed in a low voice.

Feeling a shiver down his back at the Piper's words, Jacob unconsciously turned his gaze away from him. "What about my brother?" He wondered softly, as he frantically tried to think of what the other man was talking about.

"You're so calm," Dämon stated, almost in admiration, "Too calm for someone with such a _filthy_ secret." He said contemptuously, "Especially when I know _exactly_ how you feel about him."

Jacob felt himself go cold at the statement, 'Impossible.' He assured himself. Taking a deep breath, Jake put all his effort towards curving his lips into a small smile and keeping the tremors out of his voice. "Filthy secret?" He questioned softly, "Since when has brotherly love _ever_ been considered such a thing?"

Snorting derisively, the Piper took a seat on the bed in front of the other man and smirked. "Only the truest of true love could ever beat the Grim Reaper." He mocked in Jacob's voice. "But then again; you never _said_ it was brotherly."

Jake thought furiously as he tried to recall speaking those words. Certainly what he had said must have been different; had he been drunk perhaps? As he continued to shift through memories, one stuck out: a tavern, music certainly, dingy lighting, but those words? 'Those _exact_ words.' Jacob realized with a sudden intake of breath. 'Oh… damn.' He added helplessly.

Insults and yelling Jacob could handle quite well, (after all the practice his brother had given him,) but this unexpected statement caught him entirely off guard. To have his carefully guarded feelings called 'filthy' was worse than anything Wilhelm had ever said to him. The reason for this was, to Jacob, it confirmed that his fears had been true all along, and that the only thing he had ever been certain about was something _wrong,_ in the worst sort of way. Before Jake could stop himself, he felt a lump begin to form in his throat as his vision blurred. "Raindrops…" He whispered with a hopeless giggle as he felt the familiar warm liquid begin to fleck his face.

"Wait!" The Piper exclaimed in a shrill voice from beside Jacob, "Stop! Don't cry…" Dämon pleaded helplessly as he watched the tears begin to flow down Jake's cheeks. "I- I didn't think you'd cry!" He confessed, as the linens binding Jacob's wrists fell limply to the bed. "You're not _supposed_ to cry! _He_ never did." Dämon argued futilely as he hesitantly brought a hand up to the other man's face and lightly cupped it, disrupting the tears' paths.

Flinching at the Piper's hand, Jacob brought his arms around himself and looked up in alarm, wondering exactly what Dämon was doing. Between his words and his actions, Lied was completely contradicting himself; not to mention confusing the hell out of Jake. Unconsciously using this new thought as a distraction, Jacob slowly felt himself relax as he closed his eyes and let a familiar numbness begin to replace his tears.

"Jacob…?" The Piper wondered hesitantly as he gently began to wipe away Jake's tears with his fingertips, "I… I'm sorry." He whispered tentatively to Jacob, sounding remarkably like a guilty child. "Are you all right?" He continued cautiously, as he picked up a corner of the bed sheet and gently dabbed at Jake's flushed face. Dropping the tear-stained linen suddenly, the Piper stopped, uncertain of what to do now that the tears were gone.

Using an old, and rather faded memory as reference, Dämon tentatively leaned forward and kissed Jake on the forehead in a surprisingly mother-like fashion; adjusting the other man's glasses as an afterthought when he pulled away. "I- I'm going to go, for a bit." He uncharacteristically stuttered, "I promise, I'll be back soon. Just uh, stay here, don't… do anything stupid -okay?" The Piper cautioned in a strained voice as he pulled himself off the bed and dashed from the room.

Feeling incredibly confused and unhinged, Jake felt a strange snicker escape from his lips at the other man's obvious discomfort, and at the peculiarity of his situation. Turning his interest to where Dämon had exited, Jake felt a spark of hope as he realized that the slam of the hastily closing door hadn't been followed by the thud of a bolt.

---

A/N: I'm sorry! This chapter was supposed to have been done really quickly, but then my schedule messed me up, and I forgot about exams starting, (in fact I just finished my English one this morning.)

This chapter is probably horrible, and I apologise. I kind of got fed up with it… (and by kind of, I mean _really_.) But I did try… hopefully the next chapter will go better.

On a happier note, this is chapter number TWENTY! I didn't think that I would make it this far.

Hehe…

Seriously.

But! Again, thank you to all the nice readers and reviewers. You guys really do make me smile. You guys get cake to celebrate both the 20th chapter, and my recently past birthday!

(Let's see if I can write the next chapter more quickly after exams, it may even be decent as well!)

And yey for more of the Piper and his general insanity! Also, don't worry I'll _eventually_ explain everything that happens in this story; just give me a few more chapters.


	21. Chapter 21

**Sang – Chapter 21**

---

Wilhelm winced as Schwarz struck a match, and carefully dropped it into the stone-ringed fire pit. As his eyes adjusted to the sudden light, Will blinked several times, looking up from the flames to Herr Prinz, who was carefully tending to the fire. From his seat on the grass, Wilhelm absentmindedly observed the werewolf.

His hair was long and black, pulled back with a ribbon of some sort, in a style that suggested he was from a high class. His eyes would've matched his hair; except for the haunting gold glow the firelight cast onto them. Dropping his gaze, Wilhelm noticed that Schwarz's jacket was torn and worn to no end. In fact, his whole outfit seemed far too shabby and mismatched for his aristocratic features.

As the werewolf turned to reach a small messenger bag at his hip, Will noticed four parallel tears in Prinz's jacket that ran over his shoulder and stopped halfway down his torso. They were thrown into shadow by the firelight and seemed to create impossibly deep gouges in his back. 'Were those from the… lycanthrope?' Wilhelm wondered, still obstinately refusing to use the word 'werewolf.' Staring fixedly on the slash marks, he barely noticed as Schwarz pulled out a wrapped loaf of bread from his bag.

"Wilhelm?" He questioned apprehensively, as he noticed the other man's stare, "What?" He wondered with a confused smile, as he walked around the small circle of stone and came to a stop beside Will; offering the loaf of bread to him.

"Thanks." Wilhelm replied distractedly as he broke a small chunk of bread off and gingerly bit into a corner; expecting the bread to be stale from traveling.

"Don't worry, it _is_ fresh." Schwarz reassured him, taking a seat beside the other man on the grass.

Wilhelm briefly wondered how on earth someone could afford fresh bread which even had the luxury of herbs in it; yet couldn't seem to come up with enough money for repairs on his coat. Will felt guilty for suspecting Schwarz of anything, even for an instant, but couldn't shake the feeling that he was missing something. "It's really good." Wilhelm added cheerfully as he tried to dismiss his misgivings.

"Mhm," He added with a smile, "It's…" Schwarz trailed off, suddenly finding the fire fascinating as he kept his eyes away from Will.

"It's what?" Wilhelm questioned forcefully, "I don't care what it is, as long as it's not poisoned." He joked with a strained smile.

"Poisoned?" Herr Prinz wondered in an equally confused and upset voice. "No, nothing like that; it's just homemade." He explained with a cheerless smile.

"No, no! I didn't mean that," Will quickly assured Schwarz, "But it really _is_ good." He added. "You live somewhere in these parts?" He continued with a swift change of subject.

"I do… or _did_." The werewolf answered with an unexpectedly heavy sigh as he began to nibble on his own piece of bread.

"You _did_?" Will wondered, feeling intrigued by Schwarz's ambiguous response.

"Yes, _did_. Past tense." He snapped, "It's not important."

"You're absolutely right, sorry." Wilhelm apologized quickly as he noticed the abrupt change in Schwarz's mood, and directed his attention back towards his piece of bread.

"Wilhelm," Prinz wondered, suddenly hesitant, "You- would you love Jacob, no matter what?" He asked quietly. "No matter what he did or who he was?"

Slightly thrown off by the awkwardness of Schwarz's question, Will paused and considered it. '_Could_ Jake ever do anything that would make me hate him?' He wondered to himself. Wilhelm had never asked himself that before; sure he'd worried over Jacob hating _him_ but that wasn't the same. Will was sure that the way they felt about each other was completely different, or rather, that they felt completely different kinds of love. 'If Jake even feels that.' He added doubtfully.

"You would, wouldn't you?" The lycanthrope replied in an envious voice, "No matter what, you'd love him." He added miserably. "I knew it."

"Yes, I think that I would, but what do you mean when you say you _knew_ it?" Will questioned; partly out of curiosity, but mostly out of suspicion.

"When I met you, in the Sélestat Inn, you thought your brother had brought me back to his, your, room to… uh, sleep with him, right?" Schwarz explained, feeling entirely uncomfortable voicing his speculation, "Especially with your outburst of 'thank god Mother's not alive to see this…' and the way you left the room so suddenly after Jacob cleared up the reason why I was there." He elaborated quietly, "So, I just kind of assumed that you…um, were maybe jealous? But then when your brother explained why I was there, then you felt like you had been too… overprotective?" By this point, Schwarz's voice had almost faded too much for Will to hear. "Sorry. I think too much about things that I _really_ shouldn't…" The werewolf apologized in a near whisper at Will's stunned expression.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Will wondered exactly how he was supposed to respond to the statement that Schwarz had just thrown at him. "…You _do_ think too much." Wilhelm retorted in what he hoped was an offhand manner. Suddenly Will was struck with an idea; whether or not it was a _bright_ idea… well that depended entirely on Schwarz and his reaction to it. But by going on how comfortably the other man had joked about buggering him, Wilhelm wondered if he'd receive an honest answer from him. "Schwarz," He started, turning all his charm towards the werewolf, "You make it sound like I want to… sleep with Jacob." He stated, trying to sound both curious and amused at the idea.

"Don't you?" Prinz wondered honestly, quickly putting a hand to his mouth in shock as he realized that he'd spoken aloud. "I-didn't, I mean… That wasn't what I meant!" He corrected quickly, with a light flush of embarrassment.

"Would _you_ want to burn eternally for something like _that_?" Will pressed as he ignored Schwarz's apologies.

"Me?" The werewolf wondered as his embarrassment was replaced by confusion. "Would I want to bugger Jacob?" He questioned as he unknowingly missed the point of Will's question. "Or wait, would I burn for something _like_ that?" Schwarz wondered to himself as he realized what Wilhelm had actually meant. "I… don't know." He answered in complete honesty. "Maybe if I _had_ someone to burn for." Prinz wondered with another cheerless smile. "I'm sorry; my answers must not be helping at all." He added with a small sigh.

"Don't worry about it," Wilhelm assured the werewolf with a smile, "It was a _totally_ hypothetical question either way."

Returning the smile, Schwarz put a hand to his jacket collar in an attempt to loosen it. Noticing that Will was watching him curiously, the werewolf made an attempt at humor. "You can watch all you like, but I'm not taking it off for _you_." He joked with a small grin.

About to make an equally implicit remark, Wilhelm noticed that the other man's breaths were becoming heavier and that his breathing was quickly turning into panting. "Schwarz?" Will questioned uneasily as he watched the werewolf's body shudder.

"It's not… _that_." Prinz assured Will between heavy breaths, "Just a bit under the… weather, I think." He added, attempting a smile. "Fever maybe. Heat. No… _hot_." He corrected himself, as he began to struggle with his shirt buttons. "Darn… it." He added vaguely.

Wilhelm took some relief in knowing that if Schwarz _was_ going to transform, it would've happened hours ago and not _now_. "Let's get you into the tent." Will decided, hoping that whatever ailed the other man would be remedied with a good night sleep; not that he had much other to offer him.

Supporting more than half the werewolf's weight, Will managed to get him inside the tent without incident, and decided to see if he had anything useful in his saddlebag.

Soothing Kastanie as he walked up to her, Wilhelm quickly began searching through his saddlebag, snarling in frustration as he found pulleys, hooks, other equally useless objects and one of Jacob's (no doubt misplaced) books. 'Useless.' He stated angrily as he shoved his hands furiously into his coat pockets. Feeling his fingers unexpectedly hit glass, Will fished a small glass vial out of the deep pocket. 'That idiot never even took the medicine I bought him!' He noted angrily, as he held the liquid up to the firelight. Noticing the mixture's familiar green hue, Will hoped that mint really _did_ work as well as Jacob seemed to think, as he ran back to the tent.

-

"Jacob!" The Piper exclaimed in surprise as he swung the door open and nearly collided with the other man. "What _are_ you doing there?" Dämon wondered as he quietly closed the door behind himself.

"Nothing really," Jake explained quickly as he realized how lucky he'd been by not opening the door. "I was just stretching my legs; I'm not very good at sitting still." He added truthfully.

"How inconsiderate of me!" Herr Lied apologized fretfully as he began to play with a piece of silver hair.

'This man really _is_ insane.' Jacob realized, somehow managing to both understate the truth _and_ state the painfully obvious with a single thought.

"I know!" The Piper suddenly exclaimed with a smile, "How about a tour of the castle?" He offered enthusiastically, "Most of the place is just old ruins but one of the towers, like this one, is still in near perfect condition."

As if Jacob could refuse an offer like _that_.

-

Jake hesitantly stepped over the threshold and out into a pitch black hallway that was a startling contrast to the candlelit room he'd just left; pausing uncertainly for the Piper who silently followed him from the other room.

"Well?" Dämon questioned in annoyance, "What are you waiting for?"

"Morning?" Jacob answered half-seriously, trying in vain to see down the darkened expanse of hallway.

"Can't you see in the dark?" The Piper wondered in an amused tone, as he stepped beside Jacob and began to lead him by the wrist. Turning to him in the darkness, Dämon smiled and continued as if Jake had responded. "Neither can I." He said happily, letting out a quiet laugh, which seemed to echo unnaturally down the hallway.

On cue with the laughter, Jake noticed scattered orbs of soft yellow light begin to glow and watched in amazement as the hallway was gradually illuminated by their warm light. As Herr Lied gently tugged him down the marble tiled hall, Jacob was able to see a faint outline of wings in the lights. "Oh…" He trailed off; completely absorbed in watching the winged orbs of light follow him and the Piper. "That's incredible! They're like fairies." Jacob breathed in astonishment, pulling his gaze away from the floating lights and towards Dämon, who smiled cheerfully in response.

The short hallway came to an abrupt stop that led to a rather unexpected set of stairs. Looking down from the top of the spiral flight of stairs and into the darkness, Jacob was suddenly thankful for the fact that he wasn't afraid of heights (or the dark.)

"Scared?" The Piper wondered playfully as he continued to lead Jake down the curving staircase.

"Not yet." Jacob answered, "Am I supposed to be?" He wondered half-jokingly.

"Not yet." Herr Lied replied, mimicking his half-serious tone as he abruptly stopped in front of a heavy wooden door. "Watch your step." He cautioned with an unfathomable smile as he opened the door a sliver and stepped through it; pulling Jake with him.

The first thing that struck Jacob was the deep silence of his new surroundings, as he was noiselessly led further out of the stairwell. At one point, (although neither of them knew it,) the immense courtyard had once been an extravagant ballroom, where nobles had flocked and dances had been held. But now, neglect and poor weather had collapsed the roof; leaving a wild garden of plants which grew thickly over fallen bricks, through cracks in the tiled floor and up crumbling walls. Patches of the ruins were fleetingly illuminated as the Piper's golden "lights" poured out of the door and floated lazily out into the still night. For one of the first times in his life, Jake was struck silent as he slowly took in the anachronistic scene.

"Isn't it pretty?" The Piper whispered in a low voice by Jacob's ear. Barely keeping himself from jumping at Dämon's voice, Jake nodded his head in agreement; even though he wouldn't have used _pretty_ to describe it. "Come on, let's keep going." Herr Lied continued after a moment, "The towers are _much_ more interesting."

With that, the Piper carefully led Jake to the left and through the remains of a doorway, which led to what seemed to be a servants' hallway; running parallel to the ruined ballroom. "These hallways go through almost the entire castle." He explained with a knowing smile, "Unfortunately, the one leading to the west tower seems to have collapsed some time ago, and the south tower is much too rundown to bother with. That leaves only two towers for us: the north one; which you're already _well_ acquainted with, and the east tower. But luckily for us, the east tower is interesting enough to make up for the other two losses." The Piper concluded, as he jumped over a small pile of bricks and leaves; pulling Jacob with him.

Their trek to the tower was rather uneventful, minus the occasional rodent skeleton or collapsed wall. As far as Jake could tell, the hallway they were following was one of the most direct routes from one corner of the castle to another, since they had yet to make any other turns. The Piper's winged lights (which Jacob had privately nicknamed Fairies,) provided the two with enough light to walk safely, but also left the hallway behind them unnervingly dark.

After what seemed hours, Dämon abruptly came to a stop in front of a door nearly identical to the one they'd left the other tower from. The Piper turned to Jake with a smile that was almost childish in its enthusiasm, "Excited?" He wondered playfully, cocking his head to the side and playing with a strand of his hair.

"Should I be?" Jacob questioned as he began to cautiously inspect the door.

"Of course!" Dämon replied, "I can almost guarantee that you'll like what you see." He assured Jake as he let his lock of hair fall back onto his shoulder and slowly pushed the door open.

It wasn't the Piper's fault that the long-neglected door hinges let out such an ominous creak.

---

A/N: First, (in case anyone doesn't remember,) the vial of medicine that Wilhelm finds in his pocket is from when they were at Weiss' house.

Second. This chapter _is_ a little bit longer than the last one, which is my excuse for taking so long. (Well that and the fact that I haven't slept properly for at least a week.) I know I'm a bad person for updating slowly, and I apologise.

Third. I haven't really got much else to say… besides the fact that I just realised how long my A/N usually is.

Thank you to everyone who reads and to those who review. I'd offer you all some ice cream but I'd hate for it to melt into your keyboard. (Have a muffin instead!)


	22. Chapter 22

**Sang – Chapter 22**

---

Ducking into the tent, Wilhelm attempted to recall the dosage instructions for the medicine. He was sure it had been something like a spoonful or two, but what would happen if he gave Schwarz too much? Since it was a medicine with mint as an ingredient, it would not only act as a pain-killer but also as a _mild_ sedative; if given in the proper dosage. 'What _am_ I supposed to do?' Will wondered, feeling both anxious and irritated at the situation as he sat down beside Schwarz; who was lying sprawled on his side, breathing shallowly. After a moment's hesitation, the werewolf was carefully adjusted so that his head rested comfortably in the other man's lap. Will then began to viciously work on opening the vial; cursing mildly as he felt a chipped section of the container's rim catch on his thumb.

Ignoring the persistent sting of the new cut, Will tilted Schwarz's head up and carefully balanced the vial's rim on his bottom lip. Trying to steady a now shaking hand, Will carefully began to let a steady drip of the green liquid trickle into Prinz's mouth. As the first drop hit the werewolf's tongue, he shuddered unexpectedly; jarring Wilhelm's hand and causing more than half of the vial's contents to tip into Schwarz's open mouth. "Damn it!" Will exclaimed in alarm, capping what was left of the medicine and turning his attention back to the other man. Knowing that it would take more than a few minutes for the medicine's effects to set in, he frantically began wondering what to do. 'I could… dilute it.' Wilhelm realized, 'One of us must have water –wait, he does.' Gently lowering Schwarz back onto the tent floor, he turned to leave; pausing as a low cough sounded from across the tent.

"What the hell was _that_?" Prinz exclaimed between heavy breaths with a menacing snarl from behind Will's back. Turning towards the werewolf, Wilhelm was knocked painfully off his knees and onto the floor.

Looking up from his new vantage point on the tent floor, Will stared in bewilderment at Schwarz who was regarding him with a feral smile. "Oh well." The other man continued in a low growl as Wilhelm tried to pull himself out from under him. "Comfortable?" The werewolf questioned in a wicked tone, his eyes shining fiendishly in the muted firelight.

"Not really, you're heavy." Will muttered while he tried in vain to displace the other man from across his hips. Putting his weight on one elbow, Wilhelm brought a fist back in an attempt to strike Schwarz.

"That's _not_ nice at all." The werewolf mocked Will unkindly as he caught the other man's wrist effortlessly and trapped it behind his head; pinning Will's other arm down at the same time. Widening and deepening his straddle across Wilhelm's hips, Prinz dropped his face down to Will's; displaying his glinting canines and a curiously yearning look.

Twisting under the other man in panic, Wilhelm overlooked his expression and found himself focusing on Schwarz's elongated and pointed teeth. By this point, the older Grimm had come to the distressing conclusion that Prinz was going to _bite_ him.

Feeling a cold shiver run down his back, Will saw the lycanthrope lean down towards him and shut his eyes at the feeling of Schwarz's hot breath clouding along his neck. In the small space of his mind that wasn't completely overcome by fear; Wilhelm wondered _exactly_ how much this was going to hurt.

Will flinched as he felt the werewolf's lips make contact with his neck, but held his scream when he _didn't_ feel the tearing of fangs. In fact, _all_ Wilhelm could feel was Schwarz's warm lips, insistently moving down his neck. Holding back an _entirely_ inappropriate noise brought on by the relentless kisses; incomprehension quickly joined Will's fear as he snapped his eyes open.

"Schwarz!" He hissed angrily, struggling under the other man's weight, "What- _Stop it_!" Wilhelm ordered when he felt a hand slip lightly down his side and under his shirt. By this point, the werewolf seemed to be ignoring Will's objections altogether, and as Prinz's hand moved under Wilhelm's waistband; it made his intentions _perfectly_ clear. "No! Stop- don't. _Please_!" Will protested, hearing his own voice rise in volume and pitch at Schwarz's actions.

On cue with Wilhelm's protests, the werewolf paused in consideration, (although it was impossible to tell _what_ exactly he was considering.) After a moment's hesitation, Will bit down on his lip to suppress another moan as Schwarz leisurely slid the intrusive hand out of Will's pants, and let go of his restrained hand. Shuddering involuntarily, Wilhelm quickly pulled himself up on his elbows, and tried not to seem too confused as Schwarz shifted his weight off Will's hips.

Not at all ungrateful for the fact that the werewolf had stopped, but still more than a little confused, Wilhelm desperately scrambled to pull himself out from under the other man. With a smile that could only be described as sinister, Prinz grabbed Will roughly by the shoulder and proceeded to flip him unceremoniously onto his stomach.

While he tried to pick himself off the floor, Will felt a hand snake around his waist and sensed himself begin to panic as Schwarz put one of his knees between his bent legs and pushed them apart. Trying to claw his way free from the werewolf's grip, Wilhelm felt disgusted at himself for not being able to escape the other man as his nails slid uselessly off the tent floor. 'What the hell was- _am_ I _supposed_ to do?' Will questioned in alarm as he felt the hand around his middle begin to fumble with his pant buttons. 'He's going to- god- no.' Wilhelm continued in horror, "I don't want-"

Will's disjointed thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Schwarz simultaneously let his hand drop from Wilhelm's waist and collapsed lifelessly on him; forcing Will to the ground under his weight. Pausing uncertainly when the werewolf didn't move, he carefully extracted himself from under the other man. Looking down at Schwarz's prone body, Wilhelm realized that the overdose of medicine had _finally_ kicked in, and that he was out cold. Feeling himself begin to relax, Will resisted the overwhelming urge to injure the unconscious werewolf as he moved past him and out of the tent.

Ignoring an uncomfortable ache in his groin, Will made his way over to Kastanie and began looking through his saddlebag in frustration. Once again, the older Grimm's search was in vain as he came up empty-handed, this time for rope. With nothing to restrain the lycanthrope with, and still feeling quite dazed, Wilhelm grabbed his brother's book from the open saddlebag and took a seat at the fire. Seeing his jacket folded up beside his holstered gun, Will _almost_ found it funny that the one time he had actually _needed_ a gun had also been the one time he _didn't_ have one. Resisting the urge to make use of the loaded firearm, Wilhelm put on his jacket and belted his gun. There was no way in hell he was going to sleep in the tent tonight, even if Schwarz _was_ out cold.

Making himself as comfortable as possible on the grass, Wilhelm absentmindedly began going through Jake's book, while he wondered exactly _what_ Prinz had been doing, (besides the painfully obvious.) Disregarding the book's ornate writing and pictures, as he flipped by them distractedly, Will replayed the scene in his head. For all the werewolf's joking, Wilhelm would've never suspected Schwarz of doing something so… _distasteful. _In fact, everything he knew about the man, (no matter how little it was,) suggested the same thing: that act had been _highly_ out of character for him. Not only the act itself, but also the way he had behaved during and before it; the fever, the growls, the hunger in his actions…

Suppressing a shiver, Will continued flipping through the leather-bound book, pausing as he considered looking for a section on lycanthropes. 'Why not?' He finally decided in resignation, turning to the book's index. "L… Leprechauns, Lilith, Lorelei…" Wilhelm muttered to himself as he scanned the page, "Lycanthropes, page 263." Turning to the page, Will flipped ahead and realized that the section was more than ten pages long. Skipping past the first three subsections, (_Peter Stubbe: The First Known Werewolf_; _Eradication of Lycanthropes_; and _Primary Effects of Lycanthropy,_) Will paused at the next subsection: _Secondary_ _Effects of Lycanthropy._

_There are, besides the obvious, many secondary effects of lycanthrope bites. At present, the symptoms are hypothesized to be caused by the type of transmission. The secondary effects shared by some lycanthropes are classified into two categories; physical and behavioral. _

_The physical characteristics of a lycanthrope while in human form may vary depending on the degree of their infection; that is to say, the amount and type of bodily fluid exchanged with the original lycanthrope. Generally, most lycanthropes possess no noticeable traits, but cases of elongated canines and nocturnal vision have been infrequently recorded. Also, it has been documented that individuals may, in rare occasions, possess wolf attributes including but not limited to: tails, excessive hair and claws._

_A much more difficult secondary effect to study is the change in behavior of lycanthropes, (when unrelated to lunar activity.) The changes seem to be erratic at best, and have a tendency to affect the same individuals who experience secondary physical changes. These behavioral abnormalities seem to be linked to the following factors: gender, season, elevated levels of stress, the presence of blood, and the degree of infection. They have been known to cause violent mood swings among lycanthropes, but one of the most noticeable results of these factors is a state which can be compared to the mating "heat" which mammals experience. This state is one triggered by one or more of the above factors and unlike heat; affects both males and females. It is thought to be the cause of most violent or sexually involved werewolf cases, such as the _Werewolf of Caude_ incident (see page 274, for further explanation.) Symptoms of this curious behavior include heightened body temperature, heavy breathing, and severely altered personality. The outcomes of this behavioral flux generally involve: death, mutilation, rape, infection of lycanthropy, or any combination of the above. _

"_Christ._" Wilhelm exclaimed shakily as he slammed the book closed and took a deep breath. "Well, that _certainly_ explains it." He added dryly.

-

Only slightly deterred by the door's threatening creak, Jacob followed the Piper up the familiar-looking spiral stairs, and down a hallway that was strikingly similar to the first one. Dämon stopped in front of the doorway and gestured to Jake with a playful bow, as he swung the old tower door open. Assuming that the gesture meant he could go inside, Jacob cautiously pushed the door open wider; expecting cobwebs and dust to be coating every available surface. Stepping inside the tower room, Jake felt his jaw drop as he stared around the room. "This- this is amazing! It's remarkable!" The ex scholar exclaimed enthusiastically, as he took in the room's contents.

A plethora of shiny odds and ends covering nearly ever surface; there was a section of wall covered in shelves dedicated to what seemed to be wedding rings, and an open, silk lined box fixed to another portion of wall, which held a set of silver hands. Being displayed on a small pedestal, sat an old and rather plain spinning wheel. A glass fronted wardrobe held three glistening dresses and what appeared to be a cloak made up of different kinds of animal pelts. Turning his gaze to the center of the room, Jacob's guess was confirmed as he saw a glass coffin with the words _Snow White_ on its side in golden writing. "They're from fairytales!" He breathed in wonder, turning back to the Piper with a grin.

"I know," Dämon replied with a smile, "It seems that the queen of this castle used to make a hobby out of collecting these sorts of things. It also seems that she was quite vain… or lazy. She got someone to put an enchantment on this room to prevent _dust_. Using magic as a way to get out of housecleaning." He added in disgust. "I'm not sure where all these come from but some of them even _I_ know are legendary." The Piper explained with a small gesture towards the spinning wheel.

"Actually, I know these fairytales fairly well… if you'd be interested in hearing the stories behind some of these treasures...?" Jacob volunteered tentatively.

"Really? That would be great!" Dämon agreed in a voice that matched Jake's enthusiasm.

-

The first thing that Wilhelm noticed when he woke up was the sound of birds; yet _again_. The second thing he realized was that it was finally morning. Carefully pulling himself up off the grass where he had fallen asleep, Will rubbed at his eyes lazily and looked around the clearing.

The fire had exhausted itself into ashes, nothing had burnt down, Kastanie was still there, and Prinz was staggering unsteadily out of the tent. 'Perhaps the medicine hasn't completely worn off.' Wilhelm wondered coldly as the werewolf tripped and fell heavily to his knees with a soft moan. Putting a hand shakily to his mouth, the other man scrambled onto his feet and headed in an unsteady zigzag towards the bushes; falling back down not five steps later, and dry heaving on the grass. "That's revolting." Will observed dispassionately while Schwarz tried in vain to stand up.

"S- Sorry." Prinz replied faintly, giving walking another try and nearly pitching headfirst into the fire pit. "I'm not sure what's wrong with me." He explained in a thick voice, half sitting; half falling down beside Will. At Wilhelm's unexpected silence, Schwarz made another attempt at conversation, "Were you up much earlier than me?" He wondered, putting a hand to his forehead and wincing.

"No." Wilhelm answered with barely concealed contempt.

"Are you alright?" The werewolf tried futilely as he attempted to figure out what was wrong with Will. "Your neck," He wondered in concern. "What are those marks from?"

"You _deviant_!" Wilhelm hissed venomously, as his memories from the night before returned in vivid detail. "I hope you burn in hell!" He continued angrily as his voice steadily rose. "You're unnatural… you goddamned _dog_!" Will practically screamed at Schwarz, who froze at Wilhelm's rant. "I should've just shot you when I had the chance; that's what you wanted _wasn't it_?" Will ended; biting his tongue as he realized what he'd said.

"You're right," Schwarz replied flatly. "All of that is right, as well. You're just the first person to put it all into a nice short ten second outburst. _Impressive_; even my father couldn't manage that."

"So you admit it, just like that?" Wilhelm wondered suspiciously as his anger began to cool.

"Admit to _what_? As far as I know, I haven't done anything deserving of your yelling, besides being alive; which, as you were so _kind_ to remind me, can be mended quite quickly!" The werewolf retorted in annoyance.

'How can he _not_ remember doing something like _that_?' Will questioned in amazement as the werewolf continued to glare at him. 'But then again, with all the medication he ingested, which _was_ my fault, he probably wouldn't remember…' He continued in consideration, 'It really wasn't even his fault, was it? I'm just in a bad mood, letting my temper get the better of me and lacking sleep.' Will rationalized. Taking a breath, he continued with a sigh, "No, never mind… You really didn't deserve that."

"Well I must've or else you wouldn't have yelled, right?" The werewolf questioned rationally. "_What_ did I _do_?" He continued persistently.

"_Nothing_. It doesn't matter!" Wilhelm retorted loudly.

"It _does_ matter, because it makes me wonder exactly how you're going to react tonight!" Schwarz exclaimed, "I don't know if you're aware of it or not, but it _is_ going to be a full moon." He added bitterly.

---

_A/N: Did you guys think it would be poor Jacob who got into trouble this chapter? I've given up torturing him, for the moment, and turned my attention towards Wilhelm, (because he just doesn't get tormented enough.)_

_Now, onto the subject of werewolves for a second: Pretty much all I wrote on the subject of werewolves is either basic knowledge or entirely made up by me; especially the business of how lycanthropy is transmitted. But one or two of the things referenced (the first known werewolf, and a certain werewolf case) are "fact," that is to say, I found out about them on the web. (Heh.)_

_So, yes… Oh! Did everyone guess all the fairytales referenced in this chapter? The wedding rings weren't from a specific story per say; rather they were from the stories that end in weddings (because I found that a very great deal of Brothers Grimm stories do end that way.)_

_Hmm, I don't think I've missed saying anything… wait, I lied. This story hit/passed 200 reviews. I'm ecstatic, overjoyed and amazed! I love you all, and wish to give you each a box of those really really good and expensive chocolates (whose name I can't properly spell.)_

_What a long A/N… I promise I'm done now. (Well, actually there was something else... it probably was important... but I forgot it. Argh.) _


	23. Chapter 23

**Sang – Chapter 23**

**A/N: **You _may_ want to read the story Allerleirrauh (All-Kinds-of-Fur) before continuing. It's **really** _not_ necessary to the plot as a whole, but then you'll understand what the Piper and Jacob are discussing. (And if you choose not to read it, don't worry; it only comes up in the first _two_ paragraphs.)

---

"…And he spied one of her fingers, still flawless and pale, which Allerleirauh had forgotten to blacken with ashes in her haste to be disguised. The King then triumphantly flung open her mantle of fur; exposed her shining golden locks and the dazzling, star-flecked gown, for all to see." Jacob narrated, with a gesture towards the glass-fronted wardrobe and its bizarre contents, "Seeing her beauty, the King declared: 'Thou are my dear bride, and we shall _never_ part.'" He continued with a grimace, "Their marriage was held immediately… and they lived together happily ever after." Jake concluded. "Although, to be completely honest, I simply _cannot_ see how they could live happily ever after; she was forced into marrying her _father_ after trying to escape him in the first place!" The scholar added in a huff, "That is definitely _not_ my idea of a happy ending."

"Well," The Piper began slowly, "The little… _princess_ got exactly what she deserved for being bold enough to go dancing with the King and, if that wasn't enough, _dropping_ the baubles into his soup. She was just _asking_ to be caught." He retorted with a smirk.

"I never thought of it _quite_ like that…" Jacob answered distractedly as he stepped towards a large oval mirror that hung beside the doorway. Seeing his reflection through the clear glass, Jake realized how different he looked after the recent loss of his facial hair.

Putting a hand to the mirror's surface and ghosting his fingertips along its surface, Jacob was suddenly reminded of another, now shattered, looking glass. "Mirror, mirror on the wall… Who's the fairest of them all?" He whispered in a lingering singsong voice.

"Good question." The mirror replied in a deep velvet voice, causing Jake to pull his hand from the glass surface and shoot backwards; landing untidily on the floor at Dämon's feet. "Jumpy, aren't you?" The Piper observed from above him, "Why on earth would someone cast a spell on a mirror? It's not only a ridiculously difficult task, since the spells would reflect, but also entirely _vain_." He observed disdainfully. "But, I did _not_ mean to startle you like that," Dämon exclaimed with a small smile, extending a hand down to Jacob and helping him up. "You look like you could use some rest, in any case." He noted cheerfully, "It's certainly no fun being tired."

-

Stifling a yawn, Jacob staggered sleepily back into the north tower room, and turned back to the Piper as he shut and bolted the door behind them. "You're quite impressive Jacob!" He declared, "I mean, I knew that you had studied at the university in Marburg… but even so, your knowledge is _quite_ remarkable!" Dämon said in admiration.

Jake's reply died on his lips as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. "That was certainly _not_ a lucky guess, Herr Lied. All these details about my life… how on earth did you learn them?" Jacob wondered, attempting to keep his tone curious instead of confrontational.

Visibly stiffening, the Piper began playing with his hair nervously as his smile dropped. "I have _no_ clue what you mean!" He answered with false cheerfulness. "Well I know _what_ you mean but I- No, no idea whatsoever! What were we discussing again?" Dämon stuttered distractedly.

'What kind of villain can't even _lie_ convincingly?' Jacob wondered skeptically, 'He's worse at it than _I_ am!' Resisting the urge to offer yet another suggestion to the Piper, Jake shot him a questioning glance and tried again. "How did you come to know all those, rather trivial, details about me? It's tremendously unnerving." He explained truthfully.

"But… It's embarrassing." Dämon replied weakly, "You see, it only happened because I, um, botched a spell." He said quietly. "I was scrying for someone entirely different; two separate people, actually. I panicked when my spell accidentally hit _you_ and tried to pull it back. _But_ it blew up in my face, so to speak, and it began searching _through_ you… instead of around you. Must've been quite the uncomfortable sensation… in fact, I do recall you passing out." Dämon recalled apologetically. "It really wasn't on purpose though, sorry."

"Uncomfortable?" Jacob echoed, "That's a _bit_ of an understatement." He added, not _quite_ sarcastically.

"No need to be rude!" The Piper answered crossly, "I was _trying_ to apologize."

"I think the fact that you knocked me off my horse with a _lullaby_ entitles me to be a little rude!" Jacob retorted. "How _did_ you do that anyway?" He added, curiosity swiftly replacing his irritation.

"I wasn't trying to!" Dämon continued obstinately, "And I did it using magic; how else?"

"I figured _that _out," Jake answered in exasperation, "I meant, how did you cast a spell using a lullaby? You can not _seriously_ tell me that those kinds of songs have any power." Jacob elaborated as he walked over and seated himself comfortably on the edge of the bed.

"Of course they _don't_." The Piper replied contemptuously, "I just use the tone and pitch to manipulate power. For all it matters, I could be reciting the alphabet backwards and my spells would still work perfectly." He explained with a small grin, "Actually I can use most types of sound, even a musical instrument's, to cast a spell."

"That's horribly useful." Jacob remarked casually, "Is it difficult?" He wondered with the discomforting and fleeting sensation that he was missing something important.

"Well… there are easy spells and there are hard spells. Some people take naturally to some kinds of spells, like illusions or creation ones, and can never master the basics; while others can do everything _except_ complex spells." Dämon explained slowly, "That's the way my teacher explained it to me… But then again, he always made things up when he didn't know the right answer -even if he _was_ a court magician; so I have no idea how accurate _that_ is." He added with a soft laugh.

"You must be quite good," Jacob remarked with a yawn, "Actually, you must be even _better_ than I thought you were."

"No, I'm anything but _good_," The Piper replied quickly, "You know, you sound as exhausted as I feel!" Lied noted as he shrugged out of his mid-length black jacket and hung it neatly on the back of a chair. "I think it's definitely time we go to bed." Dämon added; his naturally velvety voice giving the words a rather unintended suggestion.

Although the Piper had been acting _relatively_ normal for the past few hours, Jacob was still less than eager at the idea of sharing a bed with him. Quickly hopping off his seat on the bed, Jake was met with a questioning glance from Dämon. "Going somewhere?" He questioned distrustfully.

"Well, I was going to sleep on the floor…" Jacob explained hesitantly, "I wouldn't want to impose." He added hastily as the Piper's eyes narrowed in warning.

"What makes you think that I'm the kind of person who would force you to sleep on the floor?" Herr Lied questioned indignantly.

"Didn't you kidnap me?" Jake retorted skeptically.

"Well _yes_… but that's no excuse for poor manners on my part!" He answered primly, "Especially since you're being _so_ well behaved now." Dämon added with a not _quite_ wicked smirk.

Feeling much too tired to think up an argument, Jacob shrugged in resignation and took off his jacket, folding it over the chair beside the Piper's (very expensive looking) one. '_Much_ better funded than we are.' Jake noted absently as he walked back to the bed and once again perched on its edge; this time bending to the task of unlacing his boots. By the time Jacob was finished unlacing the dark leather, his glasses were precariously balanced on the tip of his nose, and Dämon was already sitting comfortably behind him on the bed.

Sitting back up, Jacob saw a pale hand dart out from behind him and felt his glasses get carefully pushed back into their proper place. "They sure can be annoying, can't they?" The Piper wondered distractedly, "The only thing worse than wearing them is _not_ wearing them." Herr Lied continued, "They either get in the way of everything, or you're practically blind, right? _He_ was stubborn about it to a fault though; simply refused to wear them… except to read."

Shifting nervously on the bed to look back at Dämon, Jake was unsure whether or not the other man expected a response.

"What about you Jacob?" The Piper wondered distantly, "Do you _always_ wear those scratched up things?"

"Of course I wear them all the time… well, except when I sleep." Jake answered, suddenly feeling self-conscious because of his well-worn glasses, (which he were still quite fond of.)

"Well the lights are going out, so you might as well put them somewhere." Dämon suggested as he gestured lazily towards the small bedside table.

Following the Piper's suggestion, Jake carefully put them down, and turned back to Lied in time to see a strange flicker of recognition cross his face.

"I've got an idea," Dämon stated in a low whisper, causing the candles around the room to dim and extinguish themselves one by one, "Why don't we play a little game?" He suggested with an enticing smile.

-

"You're only _now_ mentioning that tonight is a full moon!" Wilhelm exclaimed in annoyance, "Christ! What would you have done if I hadn't already known, and I started to panic?" He added as his voice rose.

"I'd sit here calmly, as I'm now doing, and wonder why the _famous_ Wilhelm Grimm was panicking over a werewolf and a full moon." Schwarz replied dryly, "Your brother seemed _much_ calmer about the whole idea."

"Of course he was; Jake's an _idiot_!" Will retorted out of habit, "He thinks his life is one big fairytale!"

"Does that make you and me fairies?" The werewolf questioned with a small grin.

"No, but that _would_ make you the Big Bad Wolf." Wilhelm said with a snort, feeling the tension in the air begin to dissipate. "I'm going to start packing up… You can take a nap, chase your tail; whatever you want –just stay _quiet_ and don't be a pest." He instructed half-seriously.

-

"Can I talk now?" The werewolf questioned as Will led Kastanie back towards the pathway.

Almost tempted to say no, Will nodded his head absentmindedly as he checked the mare's riding gear over.

"It's probably not the best thing to question, but were… _are_ you angry because of what I asked you about Jacob?" Schwarz wondered uncertainly. "I know it was kind of an odd question, but I didn't mean anything by it… In all honesty, I can't remember saying or doing much else that would've gotten you so angry." He explained.

"What?" Will questioned distractedly as he turned to glance at the werewolf, "No, it wasn't that." Wilhelm answered, shifting his attention back to Kastanie.

"Well then?" Schwarz wondered persistently, "Are you going to inform me what it _was_?"

"Stop being so irritating, you're acting _exactly_ like him!" The older Grimm snapped while he began to rummage through the saddlebag.

"Your brother can't be all _that_ irritating if _you_ want to sleep with _him_!" The lycanthrope snarled back as his patience began to wear thin.

"Shut _up_!" Will commanded frostily, pulling Jacob's book out, aggressively turning to a page and slamming the open volume into Schwarz's chest. "Both of you, always have to _ask_, to _know_… _everything!_ Even when people want to stop you for your _own_ good." Wilhelm finished bitterly as he glared at the werewolf; who took the book tentatively in his hands and began skimming the page.

"_Secondary Effects of Lycanthropy_," Prinz began in a questioning tone, lips pressing together in concentration as his eyes continued to skim across the text. The two stood in uncomfortable silence, Wilhelm observing Schwarz as he read and occasionally spoke bits of text aloud in a strained whisper:

_"The physical characteristics of a lycanthrope while in human form may vary depending on the degree of their infection; that is to say, the amount and type of bodily fluid exchanged with the original lycanthrope." _The werewolf murmured, with a look of revulsion crossing his face; quickly replaced by comprehension, and silence, as he continued to read.

"_The outcomes of this behavioral flux generally involve: death, mutilation, rape, infection of lycanthropy, or any combination of the above…_" Prinz finished in a haunted voice; noticeably blanching when he anxiously brought his gaze away from the book and up to Will, unable to quite look him in the eyes. "God," The werewolf exclaimed shakily. "I… I didn't even –didn't even know." Schwarz stuttered in horror, closing the leather-bound book and putting a set of fingers to his lips in a daze. "Death, mutilation… rape or infection of lycanthropy." Prinz repeated expressionlessly, "You…don't look dead, _or_ mutilated." He observed detachedly; a feeling of nausea swiftly accompanying the discovery.

"No," Wilhelm interrupted, "I _don't_, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. I was lucky enough to sedate you before _any_ of those things happened." He assured the other man firmly, "But, tonight we're going to keep you on a _very_ tight leash… so to speak." Will cautioned with a humorless smile.

---

_A/N: I took a long time to update, I know. Sorry! I'd love to awe you all with an amazing explanation on why it happened, but considering it was a bunch of little reasons… I should (and will) skip it._

_Mmm. Let's see, I had an idea that was either a good one, or a fairly stupid one: I was thinking of doing a (side) story about 'The Master Thief' and 'The Thief and His Master.' (In other words, Katze and Weiss.) Clearly, I'd do this after 'Sang' is over, since I can barely write one story at a time as it is… but I thought it was an interesting idea to entertain. (I'd be putting it in the 'Fairytales' category.)_

_Also, I've just realized exactly how many little mistakes I've made in a lot of chapters in this story. Lots of stupid little mistakes that make me cringe. So I may, in the near future, go back and edit all previous chapters (in an effort to make me look like less of a bad/crappy/dumb/useless/etc. writer.) Heh, you get the point. _

_And I love you people who read, and review! I give you all hugs and kisses, (the chocolate kind though.)_


	24. Chapter 24

**Sang – Chapter 24**

**A/N: **There's a lot of plot and explanations going on in this chapter, so I'd suggest paying attention, (though I kind of hope you guys pay attention when you read _anyway_… lol.)

---

"Now then," Wilhelm began as he broke the deep silence that surrounded the two men, "In order to keep _everyone_ safe tonight, I'd like to do a little inventory of our supplies; just so I have an idea of how to handle the… _issue_." Will stated tactfully; not bothering to glance back over his shoulder at Schwarz. Considering their proximity, he had no doubt that the werewolf had heard the statement perfectly well.

Shifting agitatedly in the saddle behind the other man, Prinz quietly listed his belongings: "I still have half a loaf of bread, some water, a small kitchen knife…" He trailed off, pausing in thought, "…Oh, and some rope."

'_Rope_.' Will repeated to himself with clenched teeth, 'The irony of that is just _unbelievable_.' "So," Will continued aloud in much the same tone, "Exactly how were you expecting to survive on such little equipment, and why on earth do you have a _kitchen_ knife?" The older Grimm wondered as he began to, once again, regard the werewolf's circumstances as being more than slightly suspicious.

"It's not as if I had a chance to take much else!" Prinz snapped, momentarily forgetting his gloomy disposition. "I was lucky to make it through the kitchens before the guards did; I couldn't exactly be picky."

"Hmm," Will stated thoughtfully, "Which guards, exactly?"

"The castle guards, my father's guards… my _family's_ guards. Imagine the disgrace a Lord would face for having a werewolf as a son." He explained with a hollow laugh.

"Are you a wanted man?" Wilhelm questioned, "…With a price on your head?" He added in a tone that was unusually calculating.

"Why?" Schwarz retorted, suddenly on his guard.

"_Why_?" Will repeated, "Why do you think? Perhaps _you_ find it unimportant, but _I_ would appreciate knowing whether or not there's an assortment of men, most likely with guns, chasing you –_us_." He amended harshly.

"Oh." The werewolf replied meekly, adjusting his arms further around the other man's waist, in an effort to get comfortable after a morning's worth of riding. "You know what's funny?" Schwarz murmured softly after a moment's pause, "I _did_ find it unimportant." He explained, "I thought that if my parents wanted to get rid of their humiliation so desperately, then there was no point in putting up a fight."

"So," Will retorted sharply, "You wander aimlessly through a forest, and try to get yourself shot. You're just a self-pitying _idiot_." He exclaimed heatedly, not quite feeling guilty for the bluntness of his words.

"And you're… right." Prinz added in a voice that sounded both composed and defeated. "Do you know exactly _what_ turns a man into a self-pitying idiot?" He wondered, unconsciously digging his fingers into the material of Wilhelm's jacket in frustration.

"Werewolves and parents?" Will guessed haphazardly.

"Close," The lycanthrope answered, "A thief, a werewolf, that annoying thing called coincidence, _and_ parents." He corrected with a nearly-humorous laugh. "Intrigued yet?"

"Actually, I am." Wilhelm answered truthfully, 'If nothing else, it'll make time go faster.' He added silently.

"You see, last month my household found itself entertaining a rather unusual guest, who asked for shelter from an approaching storm. He appeared to be an aristocrat of some sort; arriving in a rather lavish carriage, with fancy manners, clothes and words. I suppose it was quite easy for him to charm my family, with his pretty blue eyes and long blond hair." The werewolf explained bitterly, "Though, I won't lie and tell you that I wasn't equally charmed; I _was_. Goodness was I ever! I was even the one who offered to give him a tour of our castle… Thankfully, I had the intelligence to leave out the treasury. He stayed with us for three days, eating, drinking and sharing jokes with us like an old friend." Schwarz paused for a moment to clear his throat and, when met with no objections, continued. "On the last day, I woke up in the morning with a note on my pillow that read 'Thank you,' scrawled in stylish yet unfamiliar writing. I didn't even know who it was from, or what it was about, until my _dear_ mother burst into my room screeching at the top of her lungs that we'd been robbed. That, for the record, is never a good way to start the day. When all losses were accounted for, my father was quite outraged; we'd not only lost some very expensive trinkets, but also some very _enchanted_ and irreplaceable ones. Father then made the _brilliant_ decision that I should be the one to capture the thief; goodness knows why, must've been something to do with 'upholding the family honor.'" The werewolf explained with a small shrug, "In any case, I found myself leaving home -after an hour's worth of goodbyes- with a horse, a dagger, and some provisions.

I didn't mind for the most part, it felt nice to finally have some peace and quiet. A few days had passed without incident, when I came across an overturned carriage in a pond on the roadside. At first, I went over to see if anyone needed help, but then I found the carriage empty and the horses gone. You've no idea how much I laughed when I realized whose carriage it was; there were even some loose coins scattered in and around the pond. It seemed that the idiot thief even had the nerve to _lose_ some of our belongings! That definitely annoyed me more than anything else he'd done so far. Half a day later, I met a traveling merchant in a small village on the back roads. He unknowingly tried to sell me back one of my father's daggers, at such a low price it was obvious he didn't know what it was really worth. It probably wasn't the most honest thing to do, but I ended up haggling with him until the price was more than a tenth of its proper value and-"

"Wasn't that _generous_ of you?" Will interrupted scathingly, "You're the son of a _Lord_, yet you couldn't afford the few extra coins? The merchant could've probably fed his family for a month on those alone." He speculated in disgust.

"A _month_!" Schwarz exclaimed in shock, "You've got to be joking… a good pair of boots costs around that much!" He realized, completely appalled by the discovery.

"Don't pretend that's something new, Prinz." Wilhelm shot back with a sneer, "Their money goes to keeping families, like yours, surrounded in luxury."

"It never occurred to me… in all honesty. Everyone I meet always seems so content and cheerful…" The werewolf explained dejectedly, falling into a discomforted and brooding silence.

-

"Well?" Wilhelm questioned aloud, suddenly breaking the long bout of silence, "Aren't you going to finish the story?"

"_What_?" The aristocrat exclaimed from behind Will in surprise, "After that little lesson on 'what the world is really like when you're not affluent and pampered,' I thought that you wanted me to be quiet." Schwarz exclaimed, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Well, yes." Wilhelm explained uncomfortably, "_But_ I need something to distract me from that god-awful _noise_." By noise, Will meant the steady flow of birdsong which had been following him since he'd entered the forest.

"Oh," The werewolf stated in mild disappointment, "I was hoping that you were actually _interested_ in what I was saying."

"No, no!" Will protested persuasively, "I _am_ interested." He assured the werewolf sincerely, as he momentarily dropped Kastanie's reins to fiddle with the silver ring Jacob had found by the pond.

"Really?" Schwarz wondered with a half-smile, "Well, if not, thank you for humoring me." He added in a voice that didn't manage to sound wholly lighthearted, continuing before Wilhelm could interject. "So," The werewolf began, picking up his story, "The merchant who I acquired the dagger from told me that he had bought it from some vendor or another in a small French town called Sélestat. Of course, now that I look back on it, I know that there's no way the thief could've made it to and from that town with such a small head start; same with the merchant. The thief probably lived in or around the merchant's town and set me up… _but_ in any case, I'm getting ahead of myself! _So_, following the merchant's advice, I set my course for Sélestat; you might even know the road I took. I started on it about a day's travel from Sélestat; it's fairly barren… you pass what looks like a deserted nobleman's house on the way-"

At this, Wilhelm let out a noise that was somewhere between a laugh and a cough; accidentally interrupting Schwarz. 'It was that damned arch-thief!' Will realized in amazement.

"What?" Prinz wondered in surprise, "Are you alright?" He questioned worriedly.

"F-fine." He replied, catching his breath. "Keep going!" Wilhelm encouraged with new enthusiasm, brought on by the fact that he'd met the story's antagonist.

"If you insist." Schwarz continued suspiciously, "_So_, I followed that road through to Sélestat and it took me a bit more than a day's riding; though I was slightly set back by a night's sleep. I got to Sélestat in the early evening and stayed in the first inn that caught my eye. Actually it wasn't far from the one where you and Jacob were staying." The werewolf added absentmindedly.

"After I'd gotten a room, I set out to the marketplace with the hopes of finding a decent meal; I wanted to leave my searching for the next day when I was well-rested and feeling patient. As it was, I wasted a good few hours walking around in search of a tavern that served food fit for human consumption… though I didn't manage to find one. Instead, I ended up deciding on one back near the inn that seemed _almost_ sanitary. By then, I was so exhausted that I barely managed to order myself a meal before collapsing on one of the bar stools. After a bowl of soup and a mug of ale, I felt energetic enough to make it back to the inn without assistance. When I had stumbled out of the tavern and into the street, no doubt seeming intoxicated, I headed for the quickest way back to the inn. Sadly, when you start to feel as exhausted as I was, you begin to ignore blatantly obvious things: like the fact that traveling through an alleyway, at night, in a town you don't know, is pure _stupidity_." Schwarz exclaimed, his voice quickly changing from humorous to scornful. "And then, just to make the rest of my night _that_ much more enjoyable; it started to rain. Not just a light trickle either, it was so sudden that I didn't even have a chance to find shelter. Just picture it for a moment: I was exhausted, most likely lost, in one of the less-desirable parts of town, and now; soaked and cold. It was _definitely_ shaping up to be a miserable night. As I turned the corner into a new alleyway, I began to experience a most uncomfortable sensation of being watched. I disregarded it as paranoia, since I wouldn't have been able to see anything through the rain, even if I _had_ looked. It was odd really, less than a second later I felt someone grab me by the arm and spin me around. I was so out of it by then that it took me a moment to process what was going on… and by the time I had, there was really no point in putting up a struggle –though I did make a damn good effort to escape. How was I supposed to know it was _wasted_ effort? An instant later, I felt the back of my head impact with a wall; the thud was a rather unpleasant sound… kind of a wet noise but- actually, _never mind_. Everything was kind of foggy by that point; I couldn't see or feel much by then. But I did remember the unearthly yellow of that man's eyes… and the feeling of his fangs. I just wish he hadn't taken his time with _it_. " The werewolf recalled quietly with a shudder, "Do you remember what spreads lycanthropy, Wilhelm? Do you remember _what_ causes the secondary effects? You know, there's a reason _why_ I have such sharp fangs… and such _strange_ eyes." The other man explained, his voice cracking slightly on the words.

"Bodily fluids… and the type of transmission?" Will answered uncertainly, "But I'm not sure what you-"

"Use your imagination." Schwarz retorted darkly, "Would you better understand what I meant if I told you that I had trouble walking afterwards?" He snapped angrily.

"Oh." Will exclaimed in both comprehension and shock; feeling nauseous at the idea. "_Oh_."

"But," The werewolf continued forcefully, "The last thing I want is _your_ pity on this subject. In any case, I thankfully passed out before he… _finished_, and I came to the next morning lying facedown in the mud, bruised and aching; _but_ no longer bleeding. My only stroke of luck was that a passerby saw me lying in the alley and was kind enough to carry me back to the inn. You wouldn't believe the state I was in by the time I got back to my room. I vaguely remember passing out on my bed, and waking up days later, starved. Some thoughtful soul had left me a tray of food on the bedside table. I now know that I passed in and out of consciousness for more than a week in that room; blood-loss, I guess. The first thought I had when I completely woke up was that nearly every piece of clothing I was wearing were stained or torn, so after I felt well enough to, I changed into an extra set and was able to pay the innkeeper to wash my jacket."

'-Well _that_ certainly explains the slash marks on his jacket,' Wilhelm realized detachedly.

"After my clothes were dealt with, I think everything _really_ started to sink in. Up until that point, I had felt rather numb about the whole ordeal, but then it hit me that I'd been attacked and bitten by a _werewolf_. I would _never_ wish that feeling on _anyone_; it was indescribable… I felt empty, yet at the same time, terrified that I would harm someone. I frantically began trying to remember the old legends about silver bullets, and prayed they were right." Schwarz said dejectedly, pausing for a moment to consider Wilhelm's prolonged silence. "The way I'm telling this to you, it must seem like I was calm the whole time; well I _certainly_ wasn't. I just don't think it's necessary to repeat useless details, especially those kinds of details." The lycanthrope explained flatly, another silence following his words as he waited for Will to speak. "Forget it." Schwarz snapped a moment later, "You're not even listening."

"…Of course I am." Wilhelm replied slowly, "I was just going over what you were saying, keep going." He added distractedly.

Not quite convinced that the other man was listening, Prinz muttered something surprisingly lewd under his breath to determine how genuine Will's attention was.

"I did _not_ do that to Jacob!" Wilhelm retorted hotly, "…Though it _is_ a rather appealing idea." He added thoughtfully.

Not entirely in a laughing mood, Schwarz let out a quiet snort and continued his story. "So, I ended up in the town's marketplace, in search of both my family's possessions and some silver ammunition. Of course I was thinking more about the latter, as I browsed through the hopelessly large amounts of merchandise. I only gave the other a thought when I glimpsed a merchant's table cluttered with expensive-looking trinkets. Weaving my way through a cluster of gawking women and towards the merchant; I caught a glimpse of his yellow eyes and then I was, without a moment's hesitation, dashing out of the marketplace and thoughtlessly into an alleyway. They were such an unsettlingly shade of _yellow_; I'll never be able to forget them." The werewolf added in a shaken voice. "After I brought my senses under enough control to stop running, I paused for a moment to be sick in the alley. With my resolve to acquire a few silver bullets _freshly_ renewed, I continued my way down the alleyway and, quite literally, ran into your brother." Schwarz recalled with a faint smile. "He's a very good person, Wilhelm." He commented absentmindedly. "Jacob must've thought me quite odd; I was completely flustered to begin with: mixing-up my French grammar and everything! Then he thankfully switched to German and I managed to ask him, far more eloquently than the last try, where I could purchase some silver rounds. Jacob said he didn't know, but offered to sell me some of his own, and led me back to the inn you two were staying at. The discussion, naturally, led to the eradication of werewolves and your brother assured me that drinking a… _mixture_ of some sort would take care of the problem. We arrived at the inn and, well, you know the rest of that incident." The werewolf said with a cheerless laugh.

"I won't be forgetting it anytime soon." Will replied curtly, as he recalled how deeply the idea of Jacob bringing another man back to their room (and presumably to his bed,) had shaken him.

"I can see why," The werewolf retorted, "It isn't everyday you make the mistake of thinking your younger brother has an inclination towards fanged men." He said with a small smirk that went unseen by Wilhelm. "After I left your brother, I made a _very_ speedy, not to mention uncomfortable, ride back to Aalen with every intention of finding the plant Jacob had mentioned to me. Unfortunately, I decided to visit my house and let my family know what had happened. In my naivety, I never even _considered_ the chance of my parents rejecting me; which was entirely foolish on my part. Well, my father demanded to know where I had been for so long, as he berated me for having had to send our court magician out of the castle to cast for my whereabouts. And then, I stupidly opened my mouth and gave him the slightly edited version of what had happened to me in Sélestat." Prinz explained with a heavy sigh. "I don't know why I didn't see it coming; perhaps I still clung to the childish hope that my parents could somehow 'fix' me. It was only when I saw my father wordlessly signaling for the guards, that I realized my mistake. I didn't think; I just kept running. I escaped them by dashing through the kitchens, then out one of the servants' doors and across the few meters of untended grass that border this forest. I'm sure the guards were amused when they realized that I hadn't even had the wits to steal a horse.

By the time my fear of being caught was eased, I felt my energy drain away and I collapsed for a few hours of sleep under a pine tree. Impressive, wasn't it? From prince to pauper all in a matter of hours; I'd lost everything, yet instead of anger… I just felt _tired_ of it all. Maybe I still do. Or perhaps I'm still in shock, and I just haven't realized it yet." He speculated disinterestedly. "And then I found you." The werewolf added darkly. "Though I didn't know _who_ you were at the moment, I was quite ready to let you do my father's bidding and kill me. Though a bullet to the head is a _most_ cowardly death." The werewolf added in a curiously airy tone.

"You're insane." Will noted with a small flicker of discomfort.

"Me? Hardly, Wilhelm. I _know_ insane, and trust me; I'm not _half_ as crazy as Dämon." Schwarz retorted pointedly.

"Who?" Will questioned in confusion, glancing back over his shoulder to get a glimpse of Prinz's expression.

"Our court magician; he really _is_ a nice person… most of the time." The lycanthrope hastily explained, "But when something sets him off, his personality can take a turn for the worse." Schwarz continued with a shiver. "I don't speak from experience, thankfully, but certain people just seem to… _trigger_ something. The last time it happened to our new librarian, a fairly attractive man, but nothing extraordinary… he looked kind of like Jacob, though." Prinz added absentmindedly; an abrupt pause following as his words sunk in. "Oh, _dear_."

---

_A/N: Oh my gosh. Do you guy realise that this is my longest chapter by like… almost a thousand words? Ack. I never realized how short some of the earlier chapters were…_

_This chapter was originally supposed to have Jacob and Dämon's half in it as well… but then it would've been gigantic! (And would've been finished weeks later.) So the next chapter will be kind of like part two of this chapter, I suppose…_

_I hope no one got bored reading all that… I feel sorrier and sorrier for Schwarz though._

_And I guess you guys have to wait for my next update to find out what happens to Jake; apologies to everyone._

_And yes, this chapter took like zomg forever, and I'd like to apologise for that as well, but the progress of this story wasn't looking too promising, (it's better now, I think.)_

_Let's see… also, more about Dämon will be explained in the next chapter._

_Thank you to all you darlings who are reading this, (and reviewing.) I like you all very much, and would glomp you all if not for the limitations of computer screens._

_(I'm sorry for my odd mood as well. Heh.)_

_-Till next time._


	25. Chapter 25

**Sang – Chapter 25 **

**A/N: **_This was supposed to be the second half of the last chapter, but was cut due to time reasons… (That's also the reason for it being a 'quick' update.) ...and I just can't be bothered to re-name it Chapter 24 and a half. _

---

"A _game_?" Jacob retorted in confusion, as the candles continued to extinguish themselves; leaving him and the Piper in a darkness broken only by the faint sunlight emitted through cracks bordering the shuttered windows.

"Yes, a _game,_" Dämon replied, mocking Jacob's tone. "Make-believe, actually." He announced cheerfully in Wilhelm's all too familiar voice.

"_Make-believe_?" Jake echoed in disbelief as he attempted to guess the other man's intentions.

"Of course! I'll make-believe that you're not _yourself_, while you make-believe that I'm not _myself_. It's quite simple, really." The Piper replied enigmatically; once again, in Wilhelm's voice.

"But, I don't quite understand the point…" Jake trailed off. As his eyes adjusted to the room's dimness, Jacob saw a pale hand swiftly dart towards him, and felt a cool set of fingers trail lightly down his exposed throat.

"What point or purpose?" The Piper whispered seductively, fabric rustling while he moved farther across the bed. "You want it, I know; to hear this voice moan passionately, or scream your name in ecstasy… _brother_."

Stunned to hear Will's voice declare such immoral things, and in such a wanton manner, Jake felt his face flush. "I don't want any of _that_!" He retorted, pulling away from the Piper's cool touch.

"Ah, you see? That's exactly what _I_ said the last time, Lukas." The Piper murmured persuasively, "And now, I'd like to return the favor." He added, gracefully moving across the bed and pinning Jake down on the soft blankets in an instant.

Rather than listening to Dämon's words, Jake tried to block out the sound of Wilhelm's voice as he struggled half-heartedly underneath the other man's weight; feeling his resistance weaken at every passing second. After all, wasn't this the closest thing he would ever get to actually _being_ with Wilhelm?

Taking Jacob's sudden lack of movement as a small sign of acceptance, Dämon let a crooked grin curl his lips, while he took a moment to gaze lustfully through the dimness at Jake's prone form. "Stahl, I _never_ thought you'd be one to lie down without a fight." He remarked lazily, taking one of Jake's hands in his own and placing a light kiss on the palm.

Hazily wondering if the unknown name held any value, Jacob discarded the thought, and instead focused on freeing his hand from the other man's hold. Glaring, the younger Grimm desperately twisted his hand out of the Piper's grasp; attempting to drag himself away from the other man. "So you _do_ still have some defiance left?" Lied questioned cheerfully, refusing to abandon the cover of Wilhelm's voice. "All the more fun… _mein herr_." He purred deeply, displacing his weight with another smirk, and making no further attempts to restrain Jake.

Watching intently as Jacob quickly pulled himself up and onto his knees, the Piper let out a small, unintended exclamation of surprise as Jake's hand slid tentatively behind his head and came to rest on the back of his neck; nimble fingers twining gently through soft, silver hair. "Will…" Jacob mumbled inaudibly, pulling himself close to the other man in an affectionate embrace and nuzzling the crook of his neck.

Momentarily frozen by Jake's actions, the Piper hesitated before settling his arms around Jacob's waist. "I didn't mean to, Lukas." He explained in faint apology; both men unknowingly deaf to the other's words, and wholly trapped in their own versions of reality.

With a small sigh of happiness at the sound of his brother's voice, Jake inexpertly pressed light kisses onto the base of the other man's neck; producing a low groan as Dämon hungrily pulled him closer. Paying no notice the turmoil and confusion in his own mind, Jacob continued to kiss the Piper's exposed neckline as he felt the pair of delicate hands slip from his hips; one coming to rest on his lower back, while the other lightly grazed his inner thigh. Shivering pleasantly at the gentle touches, Jake pulled himself in closer to Lied; the movement not going unnoticed by the other man, as it had, albeit unconsciously, spread Jacob's knees invitingly. Using the weak light to guide his motions, Dämon applied forceful pressure to the other man's lower back; causing Jake's hips to buck and his straddle to deepen. Subtly changing his own position, the Piper slightly shifted one of his legs to put a light and teasing pressure between Jacob's opened knees. Quietly moaning in approval, Jake found himself instinctively grinding his hips into Dämon's lap while administering progressively rougher kisses to the other man's neck and jaw.

Keeping one hand pressed firmly to Jacob's lower back, the Piper brought his other hand up to forcefully turn the other man's face towards his own; admiring how the small rays of light highlighted his face's curves. Gazing into heavily-lidded eyes, Dämon let out a low chuckle, moving to join their lips.

The Piper brought their lips together softly, silencing his playmate's low panting, and electing a moan from deep in Jake's throat, as Dämon opened his mouth and sensuously deepened the kiss.

The moment their lips touched, Jacob felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle uncomfortably at the cool sensation of his "brother's" lips. 'His lips were _never_ cold…' Jake thought unconsciously to himself, as faded old memories began to surface in his mind: _The first day Wilhelm had gone off to school and had, reluctantly, given him a goodbye kiss on the forehead to ease his worry… A congratulatory kiss on the cheek when he had graduated from the University… The light kiss on his hand Wilhelm had given him while he lay sick in bed… The warm kiss on the tip of his nose Will had jokingly bestowed on him in a tavern, during a chilly December night when his first book had been sold… The horrific nightmare in Marbaden, in which Will seemed to lay dead, and the plain refusal of his offered lips_… 'Never cold; _never_ on the lips.' Jake realized in sudden distress.

As that single thought flitted through Jake's chaotic mind, he seemed to hear something snap. Not unlike the sharp 'twang' of a violin string tightened beyond its limit, the noise seemed to resonate both inside his head and around him. A heartbeat later, a thick haze, that had been all too undetectable moments ago, was lifted from around Jacob's senses.

Jake was suddenly overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensations of an ache between his legs, and a pair of cool lips against his own. Then, with a gut retching feeling of disgust, _everything_ fell into place.

Instantaneously breaking the unwanted kiss, Jacob gasped for air and pushed himself away from the other man; accidentally sprawling himself backwards across the bed in an effort to escape.

"Now, now," The Piper wondered with a raised eyebrow, "What _exactly_ do you think you're doing?" He questioned languidly.

Freezing momentarily, Jacob noticed the hypnotic and calming effect which Dämon's words were beginning to, yet again, produce. '_Magic_... even his voice… it's a spell.' He realized bleakly, 'Christ, I've got to keep him quiet.'

Feeling his hands begin to tremble, Jake pulled himself back off the mattress resolutely and placed a hand on the Piper's chest through the dim light; pushing him backwards teasingly against the pillows. It was _much_ more difficult to touch the other man intimately without the blissful ignorance his spell had provided. "I'm n-nervous." Jacob explained truthfully as he hesitantly spread the Piper's, now straightened, legs apart and brought himself back onto his knees. Taking a shallow breath, Jake brought himself between Dämon's thighs, and began to cautiously unbutton the other man's pants.

Thankful for the room's darkness, Jacob paused in his endeavor to pull himself up, and face to face with Lied. "W-would you m-mind closing your eyes? It's strange to know that you're watching." Jacob questioned, leaning towards Dämon's ear and trying to keep his voice steady.

"Of… course." The Piper replied in a strained voice, obviously still caught up in his own fantasies.

Smiling weakly, he bent back down to the task of removing the other man's _pants_. Jake briefly wondered, rather inappropriately, if Lied realized that he had _no_ experience in this sort of activity. Carefully moving away from the other man and sideways off the bed, Jacob slowly continued to undress the Piper. Unable to bear the idea of moving his pants, let alone undergarments, more than a few inches, Jake leaned across the mattress and planted a faint kiss on the lower part of Dämon's exposed, firm stomach.

Urging himself not to trip, Jacob quickly stepped across the tower floor, pausing to grab his glasses as he saw the light catch their lenses. Reaching the door a moment later, he soundlessly prayed that the lock wouldn't clink. Hearing the Piper murmur something from the bed, Jake panicked and, abandoning all caution to the wind, unbolted the lock and swung open the door; running down the faintly sunlit hallway.

The last sound he heard from the tower room as the door slammed shut behind him was a screamed string of curse words; full of rage and poorly-concealed hurt.

---

_A/N: Ahem. Hopefully everyone got the general gist of what was happening in this chapter, and before anyone asks, it will all be further explained… eventually._

_So, all you people who thought nothing 'bad' was going to happen… does that count as 'something bad?'_

_(Also, I apologise because I know that I'm no good at writing scenes like… "that," if you know what I mean.)_

_Now I suppose the question of the day is: who was the person whose name Dämon called Jacob? Though it's near impossible to guess without hearing Lied's story... Heh._

_And on a side-note, I_ really _need to come up with a better summary for this story. XD_


	26. Chapter 26

**Sang – Chapter 26**

---

"What do you mean by 'oh dear?'" Wilhelm questioned abruptly, "What exactly _did_ Dämon do to him?" He pressed anxiously, pulling Kastanie to a halt and turning around in the saddle to face Schwarz.

"Things…" The lycanthrope replied uneasily.

"_Things_?" Wilhelm echoed in frustration, "What the hell does _that_ mean?"

"It means exactly that: _things_… which should _not_ be repeated." Prinz explained obscurely, fidgeting in the saddle and beginning to busy himself with examining the ground.

'That's not exactly a cheerful thought, you know." Wilhelm retorted with a sigh.

"Trust me; the whole of it is even _less_ cheerful." The other man explained ruefully, "We should probably keep going." Schwarz added, prompting Will to coax Kastanie back into her trot.

"Perfect." Wilhelm declared sarcastically, "Do you have any _good_ news?" He questioned flatly.

"Look, I'm only attempting to _help_!" The werewolf retorted in annoyance, "You're just impatient." He added in a huff.

"Of course I'm _impatient_!" Wilhelm practically yelled at the other man, "You've just told me that the person who most likely kidnapped my brother is going to do 'things' to him that even a deviant like _you_ is uncomfortable to voice! Not to mention the fact that he's probably the same person who stole away the children of Hameln! At the moment, I'm more than impatient; I'm downright _terrified_!"

"Hameln?" Schwarz wondered shakily, feeling the color drain from his face, "Please assure me that I _didn't _just hear you say that."

"Why?" Will growled, "How can that bit of information _possibly_ make anything worse?" He wondered darkly.

"Well," Prinz began with a sigh, "Dämon was cast out from that very same town when he was younger, you know."

"Perfect!" He exclaimed sarcastically, "Tell me what happened." Wilhelm stated in the same forceful tone he often directed at Jacob.

"I don't get a choice in the matter, do I?" The werewolf questioned weakly, already knowing the answer. "Fine, but bear with me, it's only bits and pieces."

Seeing Wilhelm shrug lazily in front of him, Schwarz continued, "It started thirteen years ago, when our court magician at the time, old Eldwin, brought back a lad he'd found wandering the forest. When I first saw him, I remember thinking that he was quite handsome; Dämon was only a few years older than me, with dark grey eyes and the most unusual silver hair pulled into a scruffy ponytail." Schwarz described with a wistful sigh.

"At his arrival, my _dear_ father inevitably exploded; declaring that we weren't a shelter for strays, and that everyone who lived under his roof had to pay their keep. Yet, Eldwin just smiled patiently at his outburst, and announced that the lad was going to be his apprentice. It was quite an odd moment; the silence was deafening! It was impossible to tell who was more surprised at the announcement, my father or Dämon. They both seemed to stare at the old codger in wide-eyed disbelief." The werewolf recalled fondly. "Father starting going off about how it was important to choose an apprentice for power and not out of pity, but the old magician just took Dämon's ponytail and shook it at my father. 'See this color here?' Edwin asked sternly, 'Magic only does this to the strongest and oldest of us; this young man here will be a prodigy!' He announced with a gleeful grin."

"Are you telling me we're up against a magician who's not only _insane_ but also a _prodigy_?" Wilhelm interrupted loudly. "It just keeps getting _better_." He added with a sigh.

"Doesn't it just?" Schwarz wondered with a humorless smile. "So, from that day on, Dämon was indisputably a part of our household. He was always thoughtful and considerate to everyone, even as every available -and not so available- woman in my household seemed to throw herself at him. Had anyone asked me, I'd have informed them that they were wasting their time, but of course none of them did. I had such sympathy for him, as I saw the brainless sluts chase him around; faking giggles and puffing their chests to get his attention. I detest those kinds of women, I'm sure you know the type?"

Of course, he, Wilhelm Grimm _did_ know the type –_quite_ well and, in most cases, on a _very_ personal basis. "I've… _met_ them." Will answered vaguely, as the memory of that brainless woman he'd met in Hameln unintentionally surfaced. Funny, he couldn't even remember her name now.

"Well, eventually he took to occupying the lesser-used parts of our castle when his lessons weren't going on, trying to keep out of sight. Thankfully, by that point most of the ladies had taken the hint and left him alone. But, it meant that nearly every time I was sent on some obscure task to one of the empty corners of the estate, we would end up accidentally scaring each other half to death. After a while it became a contest of sorts as to who could sneak up on the other first… he _always_ cheated." The werewolf explained with a smile.

"One day my father sent me down into one of the cellar rooms and as I was fumbling around in the candlelight, I found what I thought to be a cadaver propped up against the wine rack. The thing was huddled beside a burnt-out candle stub and didn't seem to be moving at all. Of course being curious, I insisted on getting a better look. As I got closer, I noticed its' silver hair." Schwarz exclaimed with a slight shudder, "I almost screamed. It was truly frightening, to think he was just sitting there, on the floor… _dead_. I felt the urge to move him, to do anything, really, that would make him look not quite so _alive_. I now realize that it was only my overactive imagination, but at the time, the thought didn't even cross my mind! Instead, I cautiously went up to him, to see what had happened, and noticed the faint sound of snoring. The idiot had only fallen asleep!" The werewolf said with a snort, "So I figured that it was only fair to pay him back for scaring me so badly. I tiptoed up to him, leaned in close, and whispered Dämon's name in a low voice, right next to his ear. He _screamed_... And when I came to, I was sprawled on my back, five feet across the room."

"Wait, _what_?" Wilhelm retorted, pulling Kastanie to a halt yet again, and turning around to face Schwarz.

Putting a finger to the other man's lips momentarily, Schwarz continued. "If you had _let_ me finish, I would've explained it to you." The werewolf said in annoyance, as Will turned his attention back to coaxing the mare forward. "You see, when I woke up, Dämon was kneeling over me, pale as a ghost and he suddenly began blurting out an apology. Nearly on the verge of tears, Dämon began explaining to me how he could use sound to channel power. Then, he continued in a panic, telling me that he could do it not only with his voice but also using instruments and that he sometimes did it while _talking_, without realizing it. Then he kept going on, telling me how sorry he was for accidentally hitting me with the spell, and that it was because he had thought I was someone else; that he'd thought I was Lukas." Prinz explained, "Dämon was obviously horrified at having done it and seemed on the verge of breaking down entirely, so I tried to calm him down by saying it was alright, and that I was fine. Then he finally stopped talking nonsense and froze, embarrassed, offering me a hand up and dashing out of the cellar once he saw I was fine. Needless to say, we didn't talk much after that." The werewolf said with a sigh. "_Now_ you can interrupt." He added dryly to Wilhelm.

Ignoring the other man's rudeness rather pointedly, Will took a moment to think about all the information Schwarz had told him. Although it _was_ a lot, it was still lacking a few important details. "Schwarz, how would I kill him?" The older Grimm wondered flatly.

"You _can't_!" The werewolf snapped angrily.

"Mm, and that means you don't _want_ me to; not that it's impossible, right?" Wilhelm questioned calmly.

"Well, _yes_. But it still doesn't mean you _should_." Schwarz explained, seemingly on edge.

"Should? I never said I was _going_ to! I was only _asking_." Will replied defensively, "_You_ just want to bugger him." He added crossly.

-

Running was one of the few things Jacob _knew_, without a doubt, that he was good at. After the countless times Wilhelm had yelled 'Run!' and proceeded to race off without him, Jake had become fairly quick at catching (and outrunning) his brother. And now, as he tore down the dusty and rundown hallway, he was feeling more than grateful towards Will. Wincing as the piercing echoes of the Piper's scream reverberated after him, Jacob quickly turned the next corner into a smaller hallway. It was at this point, as he skidded and nearly impacted with the wall, that he realized his boots were still back up in the tower. Cursing the world in general, he took the next turn through an ornate doorway, and slipped once again, this time falling on a floor which had suddenly changed to slick marble.

Wincing at the impact, Jake scrambled up and gazed around the room he'd accidentally entered. Taking in his new surroundings, Jacob was sure of one thing: he was most certainly _not_ supposed to be there.

The younger Grimm's first assumption was that he'd managed to stumble into the castle's ballroom. On closer inspection it became obvious that, although the room _was_ big, it wasn't nearly large enough to accommodate any type of high-class social gathering. Glancing down at the dusty tiles and sliding one sock-clad foot across them, Jake wondered if he'd stumbled into a dancing room. 'I suppose these kinds of rooms are necessary,' Jacob noted interestedly, momentarily forgetting his predicament, 'Since dancing is such a big affair among the aristocracy it only makes sense to have rooms dedicated to practicing it.' He added distractedly.

Stepping further into the room, Jake noticed the dance floor was littered with dozens of small piles, which appeared to be made up of rags, and were scattered haphazardly across the dusty surface. Warily moving closer to the nearest heap, Jacob felt a growing sense of dread towards the mysterious piles and, as he stood over the closest mound, Jake realized that they weren't rags at all; they were piles of _clothes_. And, judging from the size of an abandoned shoe left half-buried in a pile, they were _children's_ clothes.

Jacob didn't want to guess what had happened as he scrambled back towards the doorway and out into the hall. Taking a few deep gulps of air to calm himself, Jake paused mid-breath as the violent sound of breaking glass filled the hallway, shattering the dusty silence and forcing Jacob to leave his new discovery in favor of escaping down the hall.

---

_A/N: I would like to apologize for the very overdue, and very badly written, update. I've got a very good explanation as well! You see, this is my final high school year, so I've been working hard to do my homework like a good little child. (Hah.) But the problem is, one of the classes I'm taking is Writer's Craft, and I've been finding that all my ideas are being sucked into that darn class! Not to mention that I've been experimenting with darker(?) writing styles, (if anyone's curious, I posted a short fairytale-snippet-story,) and as such, I find myself completely confused when I go to work on this story. It's kind of funny, because I had half this chapter already written at the time of my last update, but I wrote the other half yesterday and today… so I can see the invisible 'line' where the writing changes (slightly.)_

_Enough rambling from me! Anyways, any ideas on what happened in the castle? (As always, I'm curious to hear your thoughts, since I already know what's going to happen/what has happened.)_

_Once again apologies for the lateness, and for the long A/N. Chocolate bars all around for everyone who puts up with me and my lame excuses! XD_


	27. Chapter 27

**Sang – Chapter 27**

**---**

Turning another corner sharply, Jacob glanced down the new expanse of hallway and let out a shallow sigh; this corridor seemed just as endless as the last one had been. He stumbled past the first doorway, and unwillingly gave in to his exhaustion. Jake had no idea how long he'd been running, nor did he care, as he leaned back heavily on the wall and slid listlessly to the floor.

The younger Grimm inhaled deeply, feeling his eyes begin to sting from the clouds of dust which swarmed around him, and a question which he'd given up ignoring. 'Damn it, Will! Why aren't you here?' Jacob cursed halfhearted, beginning to fidget with his shirt cuff silently as he urged the pains in his chest to ease. Taking another slow breath, Jake bit down on his lip to keep himself from laughing. 'Why am I surprised? I really shouldn't be…' he thought scornfully to himself, 'Wilhelm's never done anything _except_ run away…' At this, his thoughts trailed to a halt as the echoes of deliberate, heeled footsteps began to fill the hallway.

"With roses… adorned, with carnations… covered…" The Piper began to sing in a low voice, amid the sounds of his steps. Feeling a sleepiness begin to blanket his senses, Jake realized that Lied's words were the beginning of another spell and quickly picked himself off the dusty floor, using a nearby door handle as leverage. As Jake stood up, he felt the metal give under his hand, and nearly fell face first as the heavy door swung in.

Peering down a steep set of unkempt steps and into a dimly-lit space, Jacob made a split-second decision and stepped tentatively onto the cool brick stairway. Closing the door behind him softly, Jake made his way down the steps and into the high-ceilinged room.

Walking further from the stairway, and gazing at his surroundings with curiosity, Jacob felt his breath catch as he strained to see in the dim light, and realized with a sudden queasiness that he'd chosen the wrong place to hide.

Large expanses of the pale stone walls were scorched black in messy patterns and curving lines; some nearly touching the floor while others disappeared from view in the ceiling's shadows. Ignoring the wooden racks and shelves which lined a corner of the room's walls, Jacob kept his attention on the blackened sections of stone. "Impossible," He murmured aloud, glancing up and down the walls, "It's all writing." Fixing his gaze on the words closest to eyelevel, Jake tried to make sense of what seemed to be jumbled sentences and ideas. "They followed my music…" He read uncertainly from the blackened stone.

"…They danced my dances. Until their feet no longer touched the ground... and then, they _truly_ soared." The Piper finished from the top of the stairway. "Do you understand, Mein Herr?"

Jumping at Dämon's voice, Jacob turned around to face the other man as he made his way down the flight of steps. "I-I don't." Jake stammered, frozen to the spot in fear.

"It means that I've ruined you, Lukas!" The Piper exclaimed, letting out an eerie laugh as he crossed the stone floor to stand in front of Jacob. "Even though you sacrificed _everything_, it didn't last."

"_What_?" Jake questioned in confusion, at words which had never been meant for his ears.

"Tsk tsk. Have you forgotten so _quickly_?" Lied chided, wagging a disapproving finger at Jacob. "Sit," The Piper commanded, causing Jacob's legs to suddenly collapse under his weight. "I've got a _very _important story to tell you, Lukas." Dämon explained with a crooked smile and a flamboyant flick of his wrist, as the words caught Jacob's curiosity. A second later, an open book fell into his hand, and the Piper glanced down at the first page.

"Once upon a time," he began, taking an invisible seat in the air and reclining comfortably.

"_There was a small town. This town was no more or less important than the others, and its inhabitants lived quiet lives. Though no one went without food or clothes, not many of the families living there were well-off. In fact, the only wealthy family in this town was that of the mayor, who ran the area and owned the local steel mill. The mayor and his wife had a son who was both quick to learn, and eager to help his family. Whenever either parent had an errand or chore to be done, the young boy would be the first to offer, and the mayor's son was often seen running back and forth from one corner of the town to the other, greeting everyone he saw. But, these things don't last forever..._

"_The years passed and, as all places eventually do, the little town began to grow. While the town grew, some people began to gain money, while others lost it. The young man continued to do errands for his parents, but had become strangely selective about who he gave his greetings to-" _

Lied suddenly paused, running a finger absentmindedly along the edges of his book's worn pages. "How dull," Dämon muttered as he flipped the book shut and carelessly tossed it aside, creating an unnaturally loud echo. "Writing is _much_ more difficult than it seems." The Piper added defensively. "But you wouldn't know that, would you, Lukas?" Dämon questioned, playing absentmindedly with a strand of silver hair between his fingers. "No… you certainly wouldn't." He concluded.

"Well, actually I…" Jacob began, about to clarify both the fact that his name was _not_ Lukas, and the fact that he _did_ indeed know how difficult writing could be. Instead, Jake held his tongue, as he recalled the kind of results his input usually led to. "…I wouldn't."

"Yes, yes, we know _that_." The Piper replied distractedly, with a dismissive wave of his hand. "There _has_ to be an interesting way to tell a story." Dämon muttered to himself. "Ah…" He concluded suddenly, turning murky silver eyes to the other man. "After all, you _do_ look exhausted."

-

"Wilhelm!" Schwarz exclaimed suddenly, jarring the other man out of his preoccupied stupor, "Stop!"

"Stop?" Will repeated in confusion, "Stop _what_? I'm not doing anything."

"I meant: stop the _horse._" Prinz explained in exasperation, as he slid a hand past Wilhelm's waist; reaching for the reins, and giving them a firm tug.

"What was that for?" Will questioned sharply when the horse came to a halt. Glancing over his shoulder at Prinz, he managed to catch a glimpse of the lycanthrope as he vaulted off Kastanie.

"I think I may've seen something… just wait there a moment!" Schwarz hastily explained as he retraced their progress along the pathway, and disappeared into the trees.

"Take your time." Wilhelm retorted dryly to the deserted pathway, "It's not as if I have somewhere _important_ to be." He added with a sigh. Slowly dismounting from Kastanie's saddle, Will attempted to stretch the stiffness from his back as he tethered the mare to a nearby tree.

Leaning back against the warm leather of the saddle, Wilhelm glanced down at his hands and began inspecting them distractedly. Ignoring the persistent background noise of birdsong, he started to twist the silver ring around his finger; seeming to be deep in thought. "Beans..." The older brother murmured, "Is it _always_ a misunderstanding?" Will questioned aloud in frustration.

Hearing a sudden, high-pitched shriek from behind him, Wilhelm started in surprise and let out an undignified yelp as he spun around. He scanned the pathway nervously, and glanced at the nearby trees in suspicion when no explanation presented itself. "Schwarz?" Will wondered as he unconsciously moved closer to the mare. "Perfect," he added dryly, "I hope you haven't got any objections to being eaten first, princess." Wilhelm joked in a hushed voice to Kastanie, who snorted arrogantly and tossed her mane. "You think it's funny, do you?" Will questioned, but instantly forgot his intended comeback when a persistent chirping noise began.

Barely keeping himself from jumping at the sound, Wilhelm took another look around in an effort to figure out what was making the shrill noises. As the chirping became louder, Will realized that it was coming from somewhere by his feet, and dropped his gaze down to the forest floor.

Meeting Wilhelm's stare was what seemed to be a ball of feathers, which was frantically twittering and fidgeting at the edge of the pathway. 'Oh Christ,' Will thought to himself in embarrassment, 'I can't believe that I was just scared out of my wits by a _bird_.' As the distressed animal let out another screech, Wilhelm took a step towards the tawny heap, but halted when the bird froze in its struggle and gave an impressively high-pitched shriek.

"Whoa," Will murmured as he took another step towards the feathered creature, "It's alright," he continued, trying to mimic Jacob's method of calming the horses. At his efforts, the bird's wings fell limply to the ground while its legs coiled up in an attempt to play dead. 'I did it the same way Jacob does!' Wilhelm thought in annoyance as he glanced down at the splayed bird in dismay. 'Well… it _nearly _worked.' He amended, moving another few steps in the animal's direction and taking a closer look.

When he neared the bird, Wilhelm noticed that amid many ruffled feathers, and looped around its stiffened legs was a fine, silver chain. Regarding the animal with suspicion, Will nudged it with the toe of his boot and, as it responded with nothing more than a surprised twitch of a leg, he scooped it up in his hands. Holding the bird cautiously, the older Grimm took a loop of chain from around its leg and slowly began to free the fragile form.

As Will succeeded in untangling the last section of the bird's tormentor from its wings, the little animal suddenly gave a small squeak of victory and launched itself off of his hand in a flurry of plumage. 'You're welcome.' Wilhelm thought to himself dryly as he watched the bird fly hurriedly back into the forest. Shaking the remaining feathers away, Will began examining the chain and noticed an odd weight attached to its end. Pulling the long end of the chain into his hand, Wilhelm realized that the silvery length's thick clasp had trapped a familiar ring on its end.

"Coincidence." Will stated aloud, sounding sceptical as he opened the chain's clasp and took the ring between his fingers. Pausing to glance from the ring Jake had placed on his hand, to the one held between his fingers, he realized that they were indisputably identical in every detail, except for their size.

"What's a coincidence?" Schwarz's voice questioned from down the pathway, causing Will to jump and quickly close the smaller ring in his fist.

"Coincidence?" Wilhelm repeated, turning to face the other man and giving him an oddly warm smile, "I don't know what you're- Christ!" Will exclaimed as he glanced up at Schwarz's hair which was sprinkled with leaves and twigs. "Did you lose a fight against a tree?" He wondered, motioning to the other man's dark hair.

"A _tree_?" The lycanthrope wondered in confusion, "Well… seeing as how they don't move, it wouldn't have been a very interesting opponent." Prinz added dryly, giving Will a grin as he unbound his hair and shook it out. "So, what _were_ you calling a coincidence?"

"Nothing, I was just talking to Kastanie." Wilhelm answered a little too quickly, as he tried to inconspicuously slide the smaller ring into one of his pant pockets.

"Liar." Schwarz quickly snapped back. Instantly realizing what he'd just said, the lycanthrope gave Will a look of bewilderment and put a hand over his mouth, "I didn't mean… well, I _did_ mean it, but I didn't-"

"You could tell I was lying?" Wilhelm quickly interrupted, his words somewhere between suspicion and fascination, "Only Jacob's ever been able to do that."

"Actually, I could kind of… smell it." The lycanthrope explained hesitantly, "I don't know how else to explain the feeling, it's never happened before."

"_Another_ first? I think it would be safe to assume that we're going to be dealing with the full moon tonight, then." As he spoke, Will fought down the urge to step away from the other man, and instead, gave him a sudden smile. "Let's keep going. We'll need time to set up before the sun sets."

His nose twitched at the sudden change of topic, but Schwarz only returned Wilhelm's smile and took a step towards the mare. "Right." The werewolf answered, giving him a questioning look. "But, what exactly are we setting up?"

"I'm sure we'll think of _something_." Wilhelm said with a vague shrug as he pulled himself up onto Kastanie with a jingle of reins.

---

_A/N: OMG. I'm not (completely) dead! And before I ramble about anything: I'm_ really _sorry about the lack of updating for the past few months. (I know I'm a bad person.)_

_See, I've been struggling through a grade twelve semester while working two jobs, trying to get everything done for university applications, and fighting other things (such as MASSIVE writer's block.)_

_(But, all in all, that's a pretty lame excuse, isn't it?)_

_As always, I truly_ love _you readers/reviewers… (And I really do like hearing your theories about what's going to happen next.)_

_(Whoa, that's an abnormally short A/N for my standards…)_

_Wait! I forgot. Since it's been such a long time since I've written these characters, someone_ please _kick me if anyone fell out of character in this chapter, (though I tried to pay extra attention to it.)_

_And, (yes I forgot something else,) the words which the Piper sings at the beginning of this chapter are from (one of) the most famous German lullabys called Wiegenlied, (or "cradle song," in English.) (According to Wikipedia.)_

_...Hopefully after exams the next chapter will come more easily than this one did. (Hah.)_


End file.
